Council Agenda Highlights – The Town of Golden council agenda highlights for May 20, 2025, address various points; adopting meeting minutes and agenda, addressing staff reports on Emergency Support Services, public works improvements, and a development variance permit, among others.
Minutes from a meeting on May 13, 2025, highlight the acceptance of the Town’s audited financial statements.
Further documents detail the proposed construction of an accessory dwelling requiring a variance, outline the process for submitting resolutions to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM), and present the Town of Golden’s strategic priorities and municipal objectives for 2024-2026, which include asset management, sustainable service delivery, capacity, and advocacy priorities.
A brief summary of the letter from the Golden Junior Hockey Society (Golden Rockets) organization:
• The letter, written by Lucille Hayward, President of the Golden Junior Hockey Society, is a thank you to the Town of Golden and the CSRD for their ongoing support, particularly for extending the arena’s operating season.
• This extension enabled the Golden Rockets to host a Spring ID Camp and a youth-focused Hockey School, which benefited athletes and local minor hockey players.
• The organization values the strong partnership with the Town and specifically thanked certain staff members.
• The Rockets reported having nearly 7000 spectators this season, contributing over 120 volunteer hours, and reinvesting over $3300 into local programs.
• Despite challenges in junior hockey, they believe they made significant progress this season and are focused on building a strong culture and demonstrating their value to the community.
• The letter expresses gratitude and looks forward to continued collaboration in the future.
The City of Enderby, BC, sent a letter to raise awareness and request support for their concerns re: provincial Bill 7 – 2025 Economic Stabilization (Tariff Response) Act.
In summary, their concern is that the proposed legislation was unclear: “When the intentions of a law enacted by the Legislative Assembly are not clearly expressed, regulations risk defining the law rather than following from the law. In this time of crisis, we urge the Government of British Columbia to legislate in a manner that upholds the rule of law, not the rule of regulation.”
A summary of the proposed Emergency Support Services (ESS) resolution for the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM), as proposed by Councillor Guyot:
• The proposed resolution is titled “Protections and Support for Emergency Support Services (ESS) Volunteers”.
• Its main purpose is to urge the Province of British Columbia to implement legal safeguards for ESS volunteers.
• Specifically, the resolution asks the Province to ensure job protection for ESS volunteers during activations. It also calls for appropriate compensation and standardized training supports for these volunteers.
• The rationale is that ESS volunteers play a critical role in the province’s emergency response, particularly in rural and remote areas.
• The resolution highlights that the BC Ombudsperson’s 2023 report identified gaps in legal protections, compensation, and training resources, which negatively impact the recruitment, retention, and capacity of volunteers during emergencies.
• Unlike volunteer firefighters, ESS personnel lack explicit job protections under BC legislation and face significant risks of job loss during extended emergency activations, which discourages volunteering and jeopardizes community emergency response capacity. Recent reporting also underscores financial and emotional challenges faced by volunteers.
• Implementing these safeguards is intended to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of ESS volunteers, strengthen emergency response capacity, enhance volunteer recruitment and retention, and ensure program sustainability and community resilience.
• The resolution was initially intended for submission to the Association of Kootenay and Boundary Local Governments (AKBLG), but the deadline was missed. It can still be submitted directly to UBCM by June 15th if endorsed by Council.
• If Council endorses the resolution, it will be forwarded by the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to UBCM. If endorsed by UBCM, it will be communicated to the Province.
• There is a potential, though not legally binding, implication that if the Province agrees and mandates these changes through legislation, local governments might be responsible for funding them through local taxation. This could lead to increased administrative and financial responsibility and workload for staff overseeing the ESS program.
On July 22, 2024, Golden faced a near-catastrophic wildfire with the Dogtooth FSR fire threatening the town and an influx of evacuees from the Jasper fire. The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) managed the evacuation of 107 properties, and the town braced for potential disaster. For the first time, these Emergency Support Services (ESS) volunteers operated at a Level 3 activation to establish a reception centre, this activation was operational for approximately a month.
The backgrounder discusses the crucial role of Emergency Support Services (ESS) volunteers in British Columbia’s emergency response efforts, particularly in rural and remote areas.
It highlights significant gaps identified in the BC Ombudsperson’s 2023 report on Emergency Support Services. These gaps include:
• A lack of legal protections, specifically concerning job protection during activations. The backgrounder notes that, unlike volunteer firefighters, ESS personnel do not have explicit job protections under BC legislation and face risks of losing their jobs during extended emergency deployments.
• Inadequate appropriate compensation.
• Insufficient standardized training resources.
These issues negatively impact the recruitment, retention, and capacity of ESS volunteers to respond during emergencies. Recent reporting, such as an article in the Revelstoke Review, further underlines the financial and emotional challenges faced by these volunteers. While some improvements have been made (like the Evacuee Registration and Assistance platform and enhanced cultural safety), they do not address the fundamental need for legal protections.
The backgrounder argues for the implementation of legal safeguards for ESS volunteers. This measure, as proposed in the resolution, would ensure job protection during activations, along with appropriate compensation and standardized training supports.
Implementing such safeguards is expected to yield several benefits:
• Strengthen emergency response capacity.
• Enhance volunteer recruitment and retention.
• Ensure program sustainability and community resilience.
• Align with the UBCM’s ongoing commitment to effective emergency response and safety.
A summary of the 8th Avenue South Improvements project:
The 8th Avenue South Improvements project is a recommended road surface renewal project. The work is located on 8th Avenue South between 9th and 13th Streets South, with optional additional work covering the section between 8th and 9th Streets South.
The project was recommended in the 2018 Road Condition Assessment and Upgrade Plan Report and is included in the 2025 Capital Budget. The main purpose of the improvements is to prolong the life of the asset, improve drainage, and improve service to users. The existing road structure is considered sound, making it suitable for the planned work. The section between 8th and 9th Streets South is noted as being in very poor condition.
The scope of work involves approximately 5,500 m² of road surface renewal, primarily consisting of asphalt milling to a 40mm thickness and repaving to a 40mm thickness. Additional components include sawcutting, cleaning and sealing cracks, applying structural geogrid where needed, a pavement levelling course for drainage, tack coat, and thermoplastic paint markings.
An Invitation to Quote was issued via BC Bid, and Terus Construction submitted the sole proposal by the May 13th deadline. Staff have reviewed the bid and recommended awarding a contract to Terus Construction.
The total budget allocated for this project in the 2025 capital budget is $375,000. The recommended construction contract award value to Terus Construction is $295,200, covering the base work and the majority of optional work. This value includes $156,400 for the base milling and repaving between 9th and 13th Streets South, $67,050 for the optional levelling course to improve drainage, and $71,750 for the optional milling and repaving between 8th and 9th Streets South.
Staff propose reserving the remaining $79,800 of the budget for a 10% contingency and a 10% allowance for consulting and materials testing services. Any balance remaining after project completion could be used for additional work under the 2025 Pavement Patching Program.
The overall recommendation to Council is to award the construction contract to Terus Construction at the $295,200 value and authorize the expenditure of the entire $375,000 budget under the 2025 Capital Budget. This initiative aligns with the Council’s Corporate Priority of Asset Management, which involves maintaining and renewing infrastructure assets based on assessments and plans.
The full agenda package is available at the Town of Golden’s website.
