Grand Forks Council — City Park Review

By Timothy Schafer

A change in management at the city’s park campground has resulted in an increase of revenue of almost 30 per cent, and almost double the profit of 2015 the City manager of operations told Grand Forks Council recently.

City manager of operations, Daniel Drexler, said the city operated the campground in the 2016 summer season with a campground host — Joan Heart. In previous years the city-owned campground was operated by summer students.

Drexler told city council “considerably more funds” were spent on advertising in tourism  magazines in Alberta and across B.C. ($5,378 in 2016, compared to $1,276 in 2015).

As a result, profits for the campground rose from $12,868 to $27,586 from 2015 to 2016, with total revenue jumping from $48,358 to $60,274, while total expenses dropped by almost $3,000, from $35,490 to $32,688.

Drexler said the city also received positive feedback from the Grand Forks Visitor Centre in regards to the campground, including:

• bylaw and policy changes helped solve various issues from prior years
• fewer code changes for washrooms;
• significantly more positive reviews from campers, less negative ones;
• spray park and playground improvements were a big plus

“The overwhelmingly positive feedback about the campground operations from the community and the Visitor Centre highlight how Miss Heart has gone above and beyond in her role as campground host,” said Drexler in his written report to council.

For example, he noted that Heart would get up at 3-4 a.m. every day to clean the washrooms so the campers could use spotless washrooms and showers between 5-6 a.m.

Priede water main nearing completion

The city is nearing completion of the Darrell J. Priede Bridge Water Main project.

The project involves the replacement of the water main that went across Fifth Street that “blew” a few years back, said city manager of development and engineering, Delores Sheets in her report to council.

A completely new water line is being put into place throughout the project, said Sheets. The work along Como Street from 66th Avenue to the trail is complete to the bridge, then along Kettle River Drive and the intersection.

“We are just now waiting for the completion of the section that goes across the bridge,” said Sheets.

No estimate was available on the completion of the entire project.