Mayor Sylvia Pranger was at the Pacific Agriculture Show in Abbotsford the morning of Jan. 31.
“Things went sideways on Rockwell Drive and it became a very busy time, and necessitated the need to declare a state of emergency and an evacuation order” she said during the District of Kent’s council meeting on Monday. “That coupled with the Sasquatch/Hemlock Valley Road washout created a very busy weekend.”
Pranger praised the residents along Rockwell Drive for their cooperation during the emergency. Flooding and subsequent landslides critically damaged the road and the water supply to the area; local and provincial crews and officials worked around the clock to restore a sense of normalcy following the disaster.
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Pranger said many residents had returned home a few weeks faster than anticipated thanks to the work of several agencies and district staff members, including the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) and Emil Anderson Maintenance.
In other council business, the council unanimously approved the appointment of a six-member Health and Wellness Advisory Committee. Appointed members are Ann Marie Leijen, Ian Gardner, Christine McPhee, Jackie Zuidhof, Dr. Jennifer Wilson and Paula Morrison.
The council voted 4-1 to authorize funds for a decorative wrap on an electric box at the intersection of Highway 9 and Morrow Road with Coun. Stan Watchorn casting the sole dissenting vote. MOTI would foot half the cost of the wrap while up to $1,000 would come from the district.
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The main source of contention about the decorative wrap was which picture to use. Of the four choices, most agreed on a view of Mount Cheam while some members of council would have appreciated what they felt was a better community representation – a view including a field of corn. The corn pictured, however, appeared not to be up to snuff, which ultimately led to Watchorn’s good-natured yet disapproving vote.
“It’s not a good crop,” Pranger agreed.
“It’s just the top three feet that are always a little spindly,” said Coun. Kertstin Schwichtenberg.
“Only in Agassiz would we be spending time talking about a picture of corn,” Watchorn joked.
The council ultimately chose to reexamine the candidates for the wrap at a later date.
The next scheduled District of Kent Council meeting will be Monday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.at the District Hall, 7170 Cheam Ave.