Council has approved of an application for a grant to make it easier for people of all ages and mobilities to take advantage of recreation opportunities at Irrigation Lake.
A fully accessible pathway to an accessible dock would greatly expand the number of people who can use the lake and it would fit into the District’s long term vision to increase the number of recreational amenities available to all residents.
The application for $15,000 is being made to the a provincial program providing money for age-friendly improvements.
The lake used to have two docks but they have now gone, leaving one outhouse, picnic tables, fire pits, benches and a small strip of beach
There’s no pathway to the waterfront, creating limitations for individuals with mobility issues who have items they wish to take to the water.
“Additionally, the site does not have a dock. Implementation of a mobility accessible dock would offer a range of benefits,” District chief administrative officer Michael Dewar noted in a memo to council.
The lake is also stocked by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. Motorized boats are not permitted.
District staffers are now getting quotes on a cost for a pathway and dock. They also believe there will be additional grant opportunities to better finance any approved work.
The addition of a dock at Irrigation Lake also fits in with a council resolution that a project of this nature be considered as part of the District’s 2024 budget.
Councillor Tom Euverman had noted the need for amenities at Irrigation Lake earlier in the year.
New fire plan needed
Houston’s wildfire protection plan, prepared in 2018, is outdated and a new one is needed to meet provincial standards.
And that means the District is hiring a company to update the document as well as applying for a grant to cover its costs.
A company called Forsite is being hired at a cost of $32,000 and that amount should be covered by the grant.
Forsite was one of only two qualified firms found by District staff that could handle the work and was the only company of the two to supply a quote.
Its hiring required council to waive District policy that three quotes in writing were needed for goods and serviced valued at more than $25,000.
The 2018 document recommended a series of measures, including removing hazardous fuels in eight specific areas.
It assessed the area south of Houston to have the greatest potential impact to the community as winds which could push fire come predominantly from the west and southwest.
Emergency operations kit purchased
All that’s needed for the District of Houston’s emergency services personnel to run an emergency operations centre is being purchased.
Computers and their accessories, stationary, pens, paper, vests of different colours to identify jobs and more are included in the kit which is costing just under $27,000.
The company chosen, Holistic Emergency Preparedness and Response, will also provide orientation and training on the kit’s use and run local emergency services people through a mock exercise.
The complete cost is $35,969.79 of which $30,000 is being covered by a provincial grant already received by the District. The remainder will come from the District’s own finances.
While District policy is that three written quotes are required for purchases of more than $25,000, the policy was waived by council given Holistic’s ability to directly provide all that the District needed.
The company is based in Courtenay on Vancouver Island.
Councillor Jonathan Van Barneveld did, however, ask that there be documentation provided and attached in District files that only one supplier could be found for both the emergency kit and for the new fire protection plan.
He said having that documentation would bolster the District’s policy that a waiver was granted after the District made best efforts to find three suppliers to provide quotes.
“That’s probably the best practice is to have the actual documentation,” he said.