Winter Newsletter (January 2011)

Water Tolls Increase

It was determined by the Board of Trustees, during the budgeting process for 2011, that water toll rates would need to be increased. Due to increased costs for delivering water, the District has had to increase water toll rates for 2011 (see announcement and charts).

The NCID has noted that some residents are not conserving water. This has put an increased demand on the system. While the tiered rate structure will help to encourage high users to conserve water, the Board will also be reviewing consumption by some residential properties with a view to taking corrective action.

Parcel Tax Increase

In order for the District to stay on-target with the 10-year capital plan for replacing aging infrastructure and to develop a new water source, the Board of Trustees has had to increase parcel taxes for 2011. Only those properties that pay the parcel tax for water service will be affected, as the fire hall parcel tax will remain the same.

Notice of Annual General Meeting

Pursuant to the Letters Patent of the North Cedar Improvement District and the Local Government Act, the Board of Trustees has called for the Annual General Meeting of the Landowners of the North Cedar Improvement District.

The AGM is to be held at 7:00 P.M. on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at the Fire Hall (2100 Yellow Point Road, Cedar, BC) for the following purposes:

1. to receive from the trustees reports on the condition of the works and a statement of the financial condition of the District;
2. to fix trustee remuneration for the ensuing year;
3. to elect two (2) trustees to succeed those whose terms of office expire and to elect a trustee or trustees to fill any other vacancy;
4. to discuss with the trustees any matter relating to the business of the District.

Water Meter Access

Thank you to all residents that cleared around their water meters. Staff greatly appreciates this and definitely noticed a difference during the last meter reading.

Accessory Buildings

As per Bylaw 349 no person to whose premises water is supplied shall make, or permit to be made, any additional connection to the service of either a temporary or permanent nature, for the purpose of supplying water to another building, or house trailer on his, or any other property without permission of the Trustees. Also, a separate meter must be installed for each residential dwelling unit.

Report from the Fire Chief

Percy Tipping

Happy New Year

I hope all of you had a safe and enjoyable holiday season.

2010 has been a busy year for the fire department with our crew responding to a number of challenging calls. These dedicated members of our community spend considerable time training, learning new skills and techniques, and work very hard when called upon to ensure your personal safety while minimizing risk to property.

I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone that the winter months present increased risks. Generally the fire department sees a rise in calls in two main areas; chimney fires and motor vehicle incidents. Both of these types of incidents are preventable because each property owner can take the necessary preventative steps to avoid needing the fire departments services. Having your chimney cleaned and burning seasoned fire wood will go a long way to preventing a chimney fire, and being aware of road conditions and having your vehicle properly equipped for winter driving will help reduce the likelihood of being involved in an accident.

As I have previously mentioned, the department now has a fire prevention officer and moving forward in 2011, our focus will be on fire prevention and public education. One very useful way of assisting with our educational goals is ensuring easy access to information. The North Cedar Fire Department along with the North Cedar Improvement District will be re-designing the current web site and one noticeable improvement will be the availability of information about burning regulations, bylaws, permit requirements, and wild land fire information. Also to be available on the web site will be material on fire prevention and contact information for our Fire Prevention Officer, Bernie White. Our website address is www.ncid.bc.ca and our e-mail address is fire@ncid.bc.ca. Ratepayers can also contact the office by phone at 250-722-3122.

In November 2010, the Department took delivery of a new rescue truck. We are very excited to have this addition to our fleet of emergency vehicles and the equipment carried on this truck includes: the “Jaws of Life”; rope rescue gear; water rescue gear; and medical response equipment.

We have had a number of members retire from the department in 2010, and we thank those members for their service to our community. We will be accepting new applications for membership until the end of January 2011. Basic requirements for membership with the North Cedar Fire Department are; must be at least 19 years of age and be in good physical condition, possess a valid BC drivers license, and be willing to commit a considerable amount of time to training and call out attendance. Applications can be picked up at the North Cedar Improvement District offices Monday to Friday, between 08:30am and 4:00 pm. Once applications are received, those seeking membership will be contacted to attend an interview with department representatives.