Photo: KTW

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has approved a fire service agreement in Merritt, library deliveries and six grants at the latest board of directors meeting.

The board unanimously approved the TNRD entering into a new, five-year, $1,547,833 contract with the City of Merritt to provide fire protection service in portions of Electoral Areas M (Beautiful Nicola Valley-North) and N (Beautiful Nicola Valley-South) near Merritt.

The previous one-year agreement expired last year.

The estimated tax rate is $0.48 per $100,000 of assessed value for the 482 properties in this fire protection service area, which is a 16 per cent decrease in cost to property owners compared to 2023, a TNRD press release stated. The contract will see the TNRD make payments in the $300,000 range made to the Merritt Fire through 2028.

Library deliveries contract renewed

The board also unanimously approved a five-year contract for intra-library delivery services for the Thompson-Nicola Regional Library. The contract was awarded to Load Warrior Logistics at a value of $399,146, which will commence on July 1.

The contract will involve transporting and delivering library materials from library administration in the TNRD Civic Building in Kamloops to other TNRL libraries around the regional district.

TNRL has used commercial couriers to shuttle materials since 2004.

On Dec. 31, 2022, the contract with the primary delivery courier expired, and the latest of two subsequent contract extensions put in place was set to expire on June 30.

A TNRD staff report said the contract was awarded to Load Warrior Logistics for maintaining the existing level of service, and as its proposal was the lowest bid received.

Grants received

The board approved six regional grants and sponsorship requests for the spring 2024 intake for a total of $25,000 on the basis of a weighted average score, factoring in things such as community impact and strategic importance of the grant.

The Kamloops International Buskers Festival Society received the full $5,000 it requested to host the 2024 event in Riverside Park, while the Kamloops Exhibition Association received its full $5,000 request to help with expenses for the 2024 Provincial Winter Fair on Sept. 23.

Twisted Desert Music Society was given $4,325 of a $5,000 request for their production of Fiddler on the Roof in Ashcroft, Spences Bridge Community Club received $3,925 of a $5,000 ask for the 2024 Desert Daze Music Festival this September.

Project X theatre Productions Society received their full $3,500 request for their annual Theatre Under the Trees outdoor summer event and the Pritchard Community Association received their full $3,250 ask in funding to put towards the annual Pritchard Rodeo on July 13 and July 14.

In total the program received 19 applications.