Council Highlights - August 16

From the meeting of August 16, 2021

Mayor’s Update

Mayor Pranger along with CAO Wallace Mah, met with Telus to advocate for better internet service for residents.

Mayor Pranger was accompanied by all of Council to the grand opening of the Agassiz Community Gardens at 7595 Morrow Road. The gardens not only provide a source of food, but a social and recreational opportunity to the community.

Thank you to our firefighters, resources from the Agassiz Fire Department were previously deployed for 3 weeks assisting with the Lytton wildfire. On Saturday, a second deployment with a crew and one truck was sent to Logan Lake and then reassigned back to Lytton to assist efforts there. Prior to any deployment requests made by the Office of the Fire Commissioner and BC Wildlife Service, contact is made with our mutual aid departments to ensure adequate resources are maintained in the area.

“I thank you for your willingness to serve.”

Combatting Climate Change

Delegates Ms. Sue Gadsby and Ms. Merilee Jones of Agassiz addressed Mayor and Council on the climate crisis.

A request was made for the District to establish a Climate Action Advisory Committee consisting of residents and Council members.

Mayor Pranger and Council thanked the delegations for bringing these issues to the forefront and being part of the solution.

News from the Agassiz – Harrison Museum

Councillor Schwichtenberg noted that the Agassiz – Harrison Museum is collecting monetary donations for the Lytton Museum & Archives and the Chinese History Museum which were destroyed in the wildfire.

Plans for the Speaker Series, which highlights the history of residents will continue over the fall and winter.

The museum now has a designated staff member, Annelynn Victor, who will continue to develop Indigenous programming with a focus on Indigenous mythology and storytelling.

Heatwave Strategies & Actions

Councillor Spaeti attended the Special Community Leadership meeting on heatwave strategies and actions. This was in response to how local municipalities responded to the extreme heatwave at the end of June.

During the June heatwave, Agassiz had a total of 15 people use the Cooling Centre at the Agricultural Hall over a 4-day period from June 25 to 28th. The Cooling Centre was also opened during the weekend of July 30 to 31 with no attendees. The Cooling Centre at the Community Recreation & Cultural Centre was opened August 7 and 8 with one attendee.

Vaccination Clinics

Councillor Spaeti reported that Agassiz had 19 clinics every Wednesday at Agricultural Hall since April 1^st.

Thank you to Agricultural Hall for donating the space and to the 14 volunteers who donated their time with greeting, sanitizing, and helping. Many of them showing up for all the clinics.

For those who still need a vaccine, people can go to the Chilliwack Mall location daily until August 29^th. Chilliwack and Hope hospitals will also have locations open; a closing date has not been set at this time.

BC Regional Swim Meet

In his report, Councillor Watchorn congratulated the Agassiz Harrison Aquanauts Swim Club for the successful swim meet held during the weekend of August 13 and 14^th. The BC Summer Swimming Association Regional swim meet was held at the Ferny Coombe Pool.

Literacy Month

Mayor Pranger declared September as Literacy Month. This is to help raise awareness of the important role that literacy plays in the lives of adults, children and families, youth, Indigenous, and immigrant communities, and those in our workforce.

If you would like more information, contact Leonne Beebe, Community Access to Literacy and Learning Coordinator at 604-796-2585.

Digester & Sludge Holding Tank Upgrade Project

Council awarded the pre-fabrication and installation services to Absolute Mechanical Industrial Ltd. in the amount of $108,525.00 (excluding GST) for the digester and sludge holding tank upgrade project.

The largest portion of the project includes pre-fabrication and installation of sanitary and aeration piping, diffusers, valves, supports and a submersible pump. The remaining work includes structural concrete work and electrical work. Staff are working to retain local contractors to complete these portions of the project.

EV Charges Continue at No Charge

In 2020, the District installed Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station at the Agassiz-Harrison Museum and Visitor Information Centre.

ChargeLab, a third-party payment network, tracked usage for a 1-year period on a free-trial basis. The results show that usage varied, but generally increased gradually into fall 2020, plateauing through winter and into 2021, remaining constant monthly.

To encourage electric vehicle ownership in Agassiz, as well as an attraction for tourists who can charge their vehicle while exploring local business, Council approved continuing to provide EV charging services at no cost to the community; however, 2-hour parking signs will be posted and enforced. Council will review the program in one year.