The following is a brief summary of selected items scheduled for discussion at the Town of Golden’s Regular Open Council meeting, as we are limited for space. It is not a complete account of the meeting package.
Residents who would like to review the agenda in detail can visit the Town of Golden’s website to download the full package and supporting documents ahead of the meeting.
• Golden council to decide future of local time changes
Golden residents could know as early as Tuesday night whether the community will continue changing its clocks twice a year.
Town council will consider three time-observance options at its Sept. 1 meeting: remain permanently on Mountain Daylight Time, move to permanent Mountain Standard Time following the Nov. 1 clock change, or continue changing between standard and daylight time each year.
The issue follows the B.C. government’s decision to end seasonal time changes for most of the province. Beginning this fall, most of B.C. will remain on UTC-7 year-round, referred to by the province as permanent Pacific Time.
Southeastern B.C. communities that have traditionally followed Mountain Time have been left to make their own decisions.
Remaining on Mountain Daylight Time, UTC-6, would keep Golden aligned with Alberta and the Regional District of East Kootenay. Moving to permanent Mountain Standard Time, UTC-7, would place Golden on the same time as most of B.C.
A regional survey conducted from July 3 to Aug. 3 received 14,345 responses. Across the survey area, 89 per cent of respondents supported ending the twice-yearly clock changes.
Golden had the highest response rate in the survey area, with responses equal to approximately 31 per cent of its census population. After postal codes were reviewed to more accurately separate Town of Golden and CSRD Area A residents, both areas recorded the same result: 55 per cent preferred permanent Mountain Daylight Time and 45 per cent preferred permanent Mountain Standard Time.
Town staff said the relatively close result does not point to a clear choice. Council is being asked to consider morning and evening daylight, school and work schedules, tourism, transportation connections, and coordination with Alberta, the rest of B.C., School District No. 6 and Interior Health.
The choice would make a considerable difference during the darkest part of winter. On Dec. 21, 2027, sunrise in Golden would occur at approximately 8:01 a.m. under permanent Mountain Standard Time and 9:01 a.m. under permanent Mountain Daylight Time. Sunset would be at approximately 4 p.m. or 5 p.m., respectively.
Council will consider the matter during its regular meeting beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1.
• Golden considers five-year loan for new street sweeper
Golden council will be asked to authorize borrowing of up to $513,600 to finance a new street sweeper already acquired by the Town.
Council approved the purchase of a 2025 Elgin Crosswind vacuum sweeper in 2024. The unit became available and was delivered and paid for in 2025, with the money temporarily drawn from the Town’s equipment replacement reserve.
Staff are now recommending the Town borrow the full purchase price through the Municipal Finance Authority’s Equipment Financing Program. The proceeds would be used to repay the equipment reserve, leaving those funds available for other vehicle and equipment replacements.
The proposed five-year loan currently carries a variable annual interest rate of 2.88 per cent. Based on that rate, the Town would make 60 monthly principal and interest payments of approximately $9,201, for an annual cost of about $110,416.
Total interest over the five-year term is estimated at $38,494. The program does not charge setup fees or taxes, and the Town could make additional principal payments or repay the loan early without penalty.
Town staff said financing heavy equipment through the Municipal Finance Authority has been used for other fleet purchases. The approach is intended to prevent a single large purchase from significantly reducing the equipment reserve, which also supports the ongoing replacement of smaller fleet vehicles.
The sweeper is already in the possession of the Town’s operations department. Council will consider the borrowing authorization at its Sept. 1 regular meeting.
• Golden considers $91,747 in property tax exemptions
Golden council will consider granting an estimated $91,747 in municipal property tax exemptions to local churches, non-profit organizations, recreational groups and community service providers in 2027.
The Town received 31 applications for permissive tax exemptions, with staff recommending approval of 29. The proposed exemptions remain below the Town’s 2027 limit of $112,395, which is equal to 1.25 per cent of the previous year’s municipal property tax revenue.
Unlike statutory exemptions granted automatically to properties such as schools, hospitals and places of worship, permissive exemptions are awarded at council’s discretion. Eligible properties must be used by qualifying organizations for purposes that benefit the community.
Staff are recommending that council deny two applications.
An application from the Seventh-day Adventist Church is not recommended because the property does not appear to be hosting publicly accessible services or programming. Staff are also recommending against an exemption for a parking lot owned by Rocky Mountain Alliance Church because it is on a separate legal property from the church building and does not appear to qualify under provincial legislation. A separate exemption for the land surrounding the church itself is recommended for approval.
The proposed list includes a partial exemption for the affordable housing portion of The Cornerstone, a mixed-use development being built by the Golden Community Economic Development Society. The completed property is expected to include affordable and market-rate housing as well as commercial space.
Staff estimate the development could generate approximately $182,880 in annual property taxes once complete if it were fully taxable. They suggest council may eventually want to establish a longer-term approach to exemptions for the property.
Applications from the Golden Family Centre Society and Golden District Arts Council were submitted after the June 30 deadline but are included among those recommended for approval.
If council approves the proposed list, the exemptions will be advertised for two consecutive weeks before a bylaw is considered in October. Provincial legislation requires the bylaw to be adopted by Oct. 31.
• Golden seeks ownership of Reflection Lake gravel pit lands
The Town of Golden could apply to take ownership of approximately 13.8 hectares of provincial Crown land around the Reflection Lake gravel pit.
Council will be asked at its Sept. 1 meeting to endorse an application for a sponsored Crown grant. If approved by the province, the grant would transfer ownership of several parcels from the B.C. government to the municipality.
The largest parcel is approximately 12.22 hectares between the top of the gravel pit slope, Reflection Lake Road and Bowle-Evans Road. The application would also cover land near the motocross track, parking and picnic areas near the Reflection Lake bird-viewing platform, and the 0.28-hectare day-use area that the Town currently occupies under a provincial licence.
The gravel pit has been used for municipal and private snow dumping for more than two decades. It is Golden’s largest snow disposal site and the only location where private snow haulers are directed.
The site is also designated for livestock truck parking during extended highway closures. It has been used for horse-trailer staging during events at the rodeo grounds, a Golden Light Horse Club skijoring event and occasional glider landings.
Areas south of Reflection Lake Road support recreational activities, parking and access to the bird-viewing platform.
The lands have also experienced illegal dumping and unauthorized overnight camping. The gravel pit was cable-gated in 2025 through a joint effort by the Ministry of Transportation and Transit and Golden’s public works department.
Staff said municipal ownership would protect the Town’s continued use of the site while allowing it to regulate recreational, community and operational activities through Town policies, bylaws and permitting processes.
If the application proceeds, the Town will undertake Indigenous engagement through the province’s Nations Connect system. The provincial government may provide an interim lease or licence at nominal rent while considering the transfer.
Application fees are expected to be nominal, although Town staff have already spent approximately 70 hours preparing the submission.
• Golden looks to redirect $22,000 toward emergency equipment
The Town of Golden is looking to use approximately $22,000 in unspent provincial grant funding to purchase equipment identified as necessary during recent local emergencies.
Council will be asked at its Sept. 1 meeting to approve a revised budget for a 2025 Emergency Operations Centre equipment grant.
The Town received $38,490 through the Union of BC Municipalities’ Community Emergency Preparedness Fund in April 2025. Approximately $16,352 has been spent, leaving $22,137 available.
Staff are proposing to redirect the remaining money toward equipment identified through recent activations of the emergency operations centre, which coordinates the Town’s response to major events such as wildfires, floods and extended power outages.
The proposed purchases include a large touchscreen monitor, rechargeable lighting, fire-weather meters, an automated external defibrillator, emergency food, 72-hour emergency kits, radio vests and straps, first-aid supplies, signage and resource-tracking materials.
The revised equipment list has an estimated cost of $22,020. Any money remaining would be returned to UBCM.
Town staff said recent emergencies involving Golden and CSRD Area A provided a clearer picture of what is needed to operate an effective emergency centre. The revised purchases would replace spending plans developed by the Town’s previous emergency program coordinator.
The grant is fully funded by the province and does not require a municipal contribution. If the remaining money is not used before the grant deadline, it must be returned.
UBCM has extended the deadline for the Town’s final report to Sept. 24. The revised equipment list will still require the organization’s approval, and purchasing will need to proceed quickly if council supports the change.
