City Council Cliff Notes - July 14, 2025 - Salmon Arm

Let’s be honest — most people aren’t spending their free time digging through Salmon Arm City Council minutes. The city’s website isn’t exactly a beacon of navigability, and the meetings hardly binge-worthy content. That’s where this comes in.

What you’ll find below is a plain-English summary of what actually happened at the latest council meeting — who said what, what got approved, and what got kicked down the road. It’s not thrilling, it’s not funny, and we don’t send it out to our subscribers because we respect your inbox. But it’s here if you want it — a way to stay informed without needing to decipher incorrectly uploaded PDF agendas or scrub through 3-hour videos.

Consider it your shortcut to civic literacy. Boring, yes — but useful. Actually, just boring.

Disclaimer: This summary is provided for informational purposes only and may (probably) contain errors or omissions. While we do our best to capture what happened, it is not an official record and should not be relied upon as a complete or fully accurate account of the meeting. For the official minutes and decisions, please refer to the City of Salmon Arm’s website. Also, it's seriously so boring so read at your own risk.

Video available here if you REALLY wanna watch the full thing:

TLDR:

• Wastewater Plant Upgrade Cost Balloons to $78.5M: Council amended the city's Liquid Waste Management Plan to reflect a massive cost escalation for the required water pollution control centre upgrade. This procedural step allows the city to begin borrowing for the design phase and confirms the project will be built on its existing site.
• School Portable Project Approved with Right-of-Way Condition: After a public hearing, King's Christian School was granted a variance to install two temporary classrooms. The decision waives costly frontage upgrade requirements in exchange for the school dedicating crucial land for a future multi-use path on 30th St NE, a key active transportation corridor.
• Mosquito Control Program Faces Scrutiny: A presentation by a local biologist argued that the city's $33,000 annual mosquito control program is ineffective and ecologically harmful. This sparked a commitment from council to review the program's value and impacts during upcoming budget discussions.
• Marine Park Parking Request Deferred to New Committee: A request from a seniors' paddling group for a special parking pass or changes to paid hours at Marine Park was deferred. The issue will now be formally reviewed by the newly created Select Parking Committee in the fall.
• Annual Budgets & Project Financing Moves Forward: Council approved the purchase of new public works equipment (a truck and a crack-sealer), a new arena dehumidifier, and the city's annual climate action report, which showed a positive trend in reduced corporate emissions.

Key Recurring Themes/Actions:

• Managing Major Infrastructure Costs: The wastewater plant's soaring budget and the strategic decision to bring crack-sealing in-house underscore the city's focus on managing the high costs and logistical challenges of core infrastructure.
• Balancing Development with Strategic Goals: The King's Christian School decision is a clear example of pragmatic compromise, allowing a community project to proceed while simultaneously securing a key long-term city objective (land for active transportation).
• Evidence-Based Policy Review: The critical examination of the mosquito control program following an expert presentation signals a move toward reviewing established programs based on scientific evidence and effectiveness.
• Formalizing Process for Ad-Hoc Requests: Deferring the Marine Park parking issue to a formal committee, rather than making an immediate change, shows a preference for structured, policy-driven decision-making over one-off solutions.

Full Meeting Summary

Attendees:

• Mayor: Alan Harrison
• In Chambers: Mayor Alan Harrison, Councillor Louise Wallace Richmond, Councillor Kevin Flynn, Councillor Debbie Cannon, Councillor Sylvia Lindgren, Councillor David Gonella
• Virtual: Councillor Tim Lavery
• Staff: Acting Chief Administrative Officer/Director of Planning and Community Services Gary Buxton, Chief Financial Officer (name not provided), Manager of Roads and Parks Chris Juro, Senior Planner Chris Larson, Manager of Engineering Jennifer Wilson, Corporate Officer Erin West, Planner II Kelsey Paynter, Deputy Fire Chief (name not provided), various other staff members.
• Proponents/Delegates: Dr. Rob Borcant, Greg Kylo (TA Structures), Tim Corless (Broadview Church), Curtis Mol (KCS Board), Christy Jansen (KCS Board).

Meeting Summary:

1. Call to Order & Procedural Business

• [00:13] Mayor Harrison called the meeting to order and provided a land acknowledgement.
• [01:02] Agenda Adoption: The agenda was adopted with the addition of a late item (9.9: Request for support on a minor amendment to the Liquid Waste Management Plan). Motion passed unanimously.
• [01:39] Disclosure of Interest:
  • Councillor Kevin Flynn declared a pecuniary interest in the evening public hearing (Item 21.1) due to a client relationship and stated he would not attend.
  • Councillor David Gonella declared a conflict with a correspondence item (13.1.9) due to an employer partnership.

2. Confirmation of Minutes & Committee Reports

• [02:45] Minutes of the June 23 Regular Council meeting were adopted.
• [03:11] Development & Planning Services Committee (July 7): During business arising, Councillor Flynn requested clarification that his absence from the meeting was due to the declared conflict, which the Mayor confirmed was noted verbally.
• [03:22] Agriculture Advisory Committee (June 11): Councillor Gonella reported on a positive development where the Shuswap Valley Producers Group is looking to partner with the Shuswap Agricultural Association to strengthen local agricultural advocacy.
• [05:50] CSRD Update:
  • Councillor Flynn reported that the CSRD is applying for a grant on behalf of the City for a Salmon Arm-specific evacuation route plan.
  • Councillor Lavy reported on the Regional Hospital District, noting minor projects are nearing completion and that business plans for two major projects (perioperative unit upgrades and a high acuity unit) are progressing at the ministry level.

3. Presentations

• 3.1 Mosquito Control Program (Dr. Rob Borcant) [09:40]
  • Dr. Borcant, a local biologist, presented on mosquito biology and control. He explained that this year's high mosquito population is a natural phenomenon caused by a wet spring following several dry years, which allows multiple generations of dormant eggs to hatch at once.
  • He argued against the effectiveness and ecological safety of larvicide programs, stating they have largely unstudied, negative impacts on non-target insects and the wider food web. He characterized the programs as providing a "psychologically warm feeling" rather than effective control.
  • Discussion confirmed the City's annual budget for the program is $33,000, and Council indicated the matter would be revisited during budget deliberations.

4. Staff Reports & Bylaws

• [31:21] Downtown Food Truck Application: Council approved a one-day relocation of a food truck stall for Ricochet Brewing on July 20th. Passed unanimously.
• [32:54] Saratoga Cup Rugby Event: Council consented to a special event liquor license for a beer garden at the Sask Sports Complex for the Saratoga Cup on August 9-10. Passed unanimously.
• [34:25] Local Government Climate Action Program (LGCAP) Survey: Council endorsed the 2024 survey, which reported a continued downward trend in corporate GHG emissions, largely attributed to the organics diversion program. Passed unanimously.
• [45:17] Vehicle & Equipment Purchases:
  • Council approved the purchase of a new gas-powered pickup truck for the Public Works department for $67,738, noting that an EV option was not available that met operational requirements. Passed, with Councillor Lindgren opposed.
  • Council approved the purchase of a new crack sealing trailer for $115,116, bringing the service in-house to improve efficiency and address contractor availability issues. Passed unanimously.
  • Council approved the purchase and installation of a new dehumidifier for the Rogers Rink (Hucul Pond) and a corresponding budget amendment of $15,000. Passed unanimously.
• [56:58] Marine Park Parking Request: After a lengthy debate on a request from a seniors' paddling group for a parking pass or change in paid hours, Council voted to defer the matter to the newly formed Select Parking Committee for review in the fall. Motion to defer passed unanimously.
• [72:05] Alternative Approval Process (AAP) Deadline: Council approved a motion to extend the elector response deadline for the loan authorization bylaw AAP to September 2, 2025, a necessary procedural adjustment due to the timing of provincial approval. Passed unanimously.
• [75:54] Liquid Waste Management Plan (LWMP) Amendment: Council approved a staff recommendation to support a minor amendment to the 2004 LWMP. This updates the projected cost for the Water Pollution Control Centre Stage 4 upgrade to $78.5 million (from $13.9M in the 2004 plan) and confirms the upgrade will happen at the existing site. This amendment is required to proceed with borrowing funds for the design phase. Passed unanimously.
• [89:49] Housing Agreement Bylaw 4734 (1231 First St SE): Council gave first, second, and third readings to a bylaw that legally secures 12 townhouse units as long-term rental housing in perpetuity, a condition of their recently approved development permit. Passed unanimously.

5. Correspondence

• [92:53] Council addressed several items, notably approving a request from Downtown Salmon Arm to allow businesses to utilize sidewalk space during street closures. The letter regarding mosquitoes was noted and will inform future budget discussions.

6. Evening Session: Public Hearing

• [109:10] Development Variance Permit VP604 (King's Christian School, 30th St NE):
  • Acting Deputy Mayor Wallace Richmond chaired the hearing for a variance to waive significant frontage and servicing upgrade requirements for the installation of two portable classrooms.
  • The proponent spoke in favour. Two members of the public spoke in opposition, raising concerns about future development, traffic, and water pressure. The school board chair clarified the project is to relieve congestion for the existing student body, not to increase enrollment.
  • The public hearing was closed. [140:15]
  • Motion: Council moved to amend the motion on the floor to match the recommendation from the planning committee: to waive the major upgrade requirements but require the applicant to dedicate right-of-way for a future multi-use path on 30th St NE and a corner cut on 2nd Ave NE. The amendment passed unanimously.
  • The main motion, as amended, was then passed unanimously.

7. Adjournment

• [147:19] The meeting was adjourned.

That’s the meeting — in all its procedural glory. If you made it this far, congrats: you now know more about local government than 99% of your neighbours.

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