City council moved to new digs for its Monday, March 13 meeting, but not by choice.
Over the weekend, a water line broke to a sink in a meeting room on the second floor of city hall, leaving water seeping through the ceiling drywall of council chambers.
“It was primarily on Nancy’s desk,” said city engineering director Rob Niewenhuizen, explaining water leaked onto the mayor’s desk and then accumulated on the floor to about an inch deep.
He estimates the leak started Saturday night and continued until Monday morning when it was discovered.
Extent of damage to the ceiling, the floor and electronics in council chambers was still being tallied Monday.
The council meeting was moved to a room next door, where council will meet until the repairs are complete.
RapAttack
Following a letter to council from Steve Thompson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations about the RapAttack base in Salmon Arm, Coun. Chad Eliason talked about the importance of meeting again with the ministry so the facility isn’t changed.
Thompson thanked council for the data received on accommodation and vacancy rates.
“This information will be useful as we continue to monitor the situation closely over the coming months,” he wrote.
Mayor Nancy Cooper said council received confirmation that the base is not going to close, but agreed with having an additional meeting.
Eliason said he’s aware of other communities which have had small cutbacks.
“If you eat away at it, it’s easier to close in the future. I don’t want that to happen to the Salmon Arm RapAttack base.”
Ready to race
Coun. Ken Jamieson is ready to grab his helmet and go.
Jamieson asked Lindsay Wong, manager of Downtown Salmon Arm, about the soap box race set for June 24.
“When will we find out – where, what the specifications are for our racing machines… That’s important.”
Mayor Nancy Cooper noted that council voted for Jamieson to drive council’s soapbox when he was absent from a meeting.
Wong said logistics would be discussed with Brody Savoie, the boy who pitched the idea, but the plan is to have racers go down Hudson Avenue past the Salmar Grand. The soap boxes will have to do a pit stop and be checked first.
Jamieson joked that a couple of his colleagues said they were looking forward to pushing him down the steep Harris Street.