Field Community Town Hall Meeting May 4, 2015

Field Community Town Hall Meeting

May 4, 2015

In Attendance: Sean Coubrough, Helen Barry, Melanie Kwong, Elaine Lemieux, Rachel Fernandes-Ubell, Sally Watson, Ellen Francis, Craig Chapman, Sally Watson, Jeremy Schmidt

  1. Agenda – Approved as amended
  1. FRAA/FCC Report

Welcome Ellen Francis, our new Townsite Manager and welcome back Melanie!

FRAA hosted a fantastic Easter function. Thanks to everyone who attended and helped set up. This year the kids won out over the magpies in the Easter Egg Hunt.

Upcoming events:

Sunday, May 17 – Garage Sale. Set up on Saturday, $5 per table, bake sale table proceeds go to the hall. Can’t leave your junk here.

Friday May 29 – Spring Fling. Evening of dancing with DJ Dad, all age event, food served, responsible event, heavily promoted to OCAs, details rolled out shortly – this is a pre-event alert.

Monday, June 22 – Town Hall Meeting

Wednesday, July 1 – Canada Day Parade. FRAA invites Parks Canada to participate. Wardens on horses always look good in the parade.

CSRD Advisory Board: Craig represents our area on the board. If residents have items they want to bring forward, please contact Craig. Next meeting is in Golden at the arena, a CSRD building. In other areas of the regional district residents are concerned about fire departments, water quality and high speed Internet; we’re good on these main issues. Our priorities are population retention and growth, economic development and affordable housing.

Power outages May 19 to 22 to maintain and upgrade the battery storage facility.

Field Hall Improvement Project (HIP): Community Initiatives Grant from Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) of $15,000.00 approved. New furnaces have been installed. Thanks to Parky’s Heating and Ventilation. New windows are on order and will be installed by Olsen Construction on arrival. Quote on blinds in process.

Council continues to work on grant applications for a new sound system, locks, etc. Council also researching acoustic baffles on the ceiling to mitigate noise issues in the hall.

Emergency Protocols Update Planning Meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 7; hosted by Parks Canada.

FRAA continues to work on funding to renovate the Catholic Church and assume lease with Parks Canada.

Field Utility Board (FUB) scheduled for Wednesday, May 6. Full agenda for discussion, including Stephen Creek slump mitigation.

Annual Town Walk About to be scheduled; purpose is to identify items in community infrastructure that need attention/repair/maintenance. Please send FCC items you think should be added to the Outstanding Items list.

Future of School: FRAA is researching ‘Before and After’ school programming, and supervised lunch program. Lake Louise residents are interested in a school. Ongoing discussion about busing students to Field. They need a valid BC address to enroll in Field Elementary School.

Treasurer’s Report – Files attached

Train Ticket Sales Fund: Motion by Craig, seconded by Jeremy that we move this money into the Hall Improvement Project (HIP) account, and rename the account Operating Account for Hall Improvement Project (HIP). Motion passed.

2.Parks Canada Report

Townsite Manager

Ellen is in the learning phase of this new job – observing, listening, and taking in the scope of her responsibilities.

Stephen Creek

Working on detailed designs with Public Works and the consultant that did original assessment. Monitoring only measures what’s happening, does not reduce risk. Mitigation is more important than monitoring. Priority is to reduce risk, and that is where efforts will be most effective. Originally Parks Canada worked with Calgary Public Works office, but responsibility has been moved to BC jurisdiction. Currently bringing new players up to speed, trying not to lose time.

Craig: Wording in the report was fairly alarming and indicated that monitoring system would give immediate notice of increased risk.

Ellen: Understanding from discussion with the consultant is that monitoring would not necessarily give warning. Consultant feels it is better to move forward with mitigation at this point. Some talk of warning system. Ellen will try to get more information and feels that their recommendation holds merit. At this point, mitigation plans are still in design. Some parts of design can be implemented soon and will give update on timing when the information is firm. As mitigation work proceeds, they will be able to refine the design. Based on a site visit last week, design and mitigation plans can move forward.

Melanie: The goal has always been to take risk from very high to very low which only mitigation can accomplish.

Craig: Budget? Can the Field Unit resources cover this project?

Melanie: Briefed National Office last fall and anticipates that money from source other than Field Unit will be needed. Expects the funding will be approved. Last week was key in moving forward on the file, new people on the file. Recognize that this is important.

Visitor Experience Report

Melanie:

Wapta Falls road opened today.

Campground opening dates: Monarch – May 7, Kicking Horse – May 14, Takakkaw Falls and Hoodoo Creek – June 26, Lake O’Hara – June 19

Yoho Valley Road scheduled to open June 19. Highways currently clearing snow off Moraine Lake Road, then will clear the Lake O’Hara Road and then Yoho Valley Road.

West Gate will open May 15.

New this year: Some new highway signs like Yoho Valley Road exit; interpretive panel on Kicking Horse Pass installed at Monarch by the trailer drop off parking area.

Red chairs: Six pair in the Field Unit, two pair installed in Yoho last October – one set at Takakkaw Falls and one set at Yoho Lake, very popular.

Craig: What department is responsible for picnic benches in the backcountry, like Amiskwi Fire circle? Craig noticed old picnic table beside the river on the Kicking Horse Trail, mostly used by skiers is completely trashed now. How can these be replaced?

Melanie: More focused on front country where use is highest.

Craig: Suggested getting red chairs at Amiskwi.

Melanie: Red chairs have been installed in areas less travelled. Perhaps Amiskwi could be considered.

Helen: Why did they go with synthetic chairs?

Melanie: They last longer, don’t fade, no maintenance.

Highway Service Centre Report

Craig: Question about schedule for current highway work on tree and rock scaling and proposed paving contracts – is this available?

Melanie: Know what they are planning to do and approximate window, but don’t have the information here tonight. Brenda DeMone investigating sequencing and timing for work that will be least disruptive to residents and travellers. Once plans are complete, she will communicate with the community. This is a multi-year project. All work will be sympathetic to twinning. Highway Service Centre has been divided into two groups: Engineering and Operations are now separate.

Craig: When can we expect the street sweeper in town?

Melanie: I know the sweeper will be out soon but can’t give the exact date.

  1. Field Fire and Rescue Department (FFRD) Report

Call outs: 25 to date – we had an easy winter and good service from the Highway Service Centre. There was a major call out April 24 at the bottom of the Big Hill. Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)scheduled for this week. Mental health of members is a priority. A fatality at the scene of an incident is an immediate trigger for CISD.

New equipment: $55,000.00 set aside for new breathing apparatus; going through standing offer process at present. Fit testing kit is on order, which will simplify mask-fitting process. Rescue Truck delivery date September 2015. This will be a great truck. There are multiple steps in process to build a fire truck. Sean feels confident the product will meet FFRD needs.

New wash bay at the fire hall, set up for the new truck. Thanks Jamie.

There is now an AED (defibrillator) in the truck, easy to use, great to have. We’ll let Rick Mercer know!

Training: Six members attended heavy equipment rescue course in Invermere the weekend of April 24. Knowledge gained to be shared with members who were not able to go. With spring season here, there is ongoing training on water pumping, etc. Auto extraction course planned for fall. Some members scheduled to attend Live Fire 1 in June. Officer training for three members is upcoming. The department is working hard to meet new BC Playbook standards. Sean is updating the FFRD Standard Operating Guidelines to meet our specific operation in Parks Canada milieu and the new realities of the BC Playbook.

Now looking at multi-year contract with Parks Canada in future rather than year to year under which FFRD currently operates.

Working on fire station assessment for upgrade or replacement. Federal Infrastructure Program (FIP) $ may be available.

Recruiting new members, currently in rebuilding phase.

Sean plans to build a training data base but it is hard to find time to start the project.

Emergency Services Ball for STARS really successful, with over $7700.00 raised. There were more donations from local businesses this year than any other year. It’s a great event, lots of fun and recommends that more residents come out next year!

  1. Round Table: Nothing brought forward.

Meeting adjourned at 8:15 pm.