What do You Think? Many Creston citizens are concerned about the direction the Fire Hall Advisory Select Committee (ASC) is taking. At a cost to the taxpayer of $120,000, much of which went to a private consultant, the Committee and the consultant are supporting an agenda already decided by the Town of Creston (ToC). The citizens of Creston have voted an overwhelming NO to the Town’s borrowing referendum for 6.1 million dollar fire hall. ToC is so anxious to prove they are correct, and to discredit any opposition, that they are not listening to you! Let them know what you think! 1) What do you think that there has been no public input allowed from the gallery at ASC meetings? What do you think that submitted letters of concern to the ASC have not been addressed? 2) Do you think it will cost you, as a taxpayer, more money to purehase and develop the Cook Street (Loblaw’s) site for the fire hall, or does it make more sense to develop the Cedar Street site (next to the RCMP building) that the Town already owns? 3) Taking a large parcel of pritne commercial property out of the tax base was not a concern for the ToC or ASC when an expensive private consultant followed the initial recommendation that Cook Street be chosen. This issue was not discussed. 4) By necessity, because of post-disaster requirements, Worksafe BC regulations, and other factors, a new fire hell will be the most expensive “dollars-per-square foot” building in Creston. Why are they insisting on meeting and fitness rooms when both already exist at the Creston and District Community Centre, a facility that the taxpayer is still on the hook for? (25% per cent of your Creston property taxes go to the RDCK, with 60.8% of that allotted for the Rec Centre, on which there remains 16 million in debt). 5) Studies are showing saunas, rather than fitness rooms, are the way of the future for fire halls as they are very effective and less costly than fitness rooms. What do you think? 6) The numbers of calls our fire department answers are being deliberately inflated by firefighters attending ALL calls including ambulance/medical calls. Do you think it is necessary for firefighters (at great expense to the taxpayer) to respond to all calls? 7) Its the Fire Chief's responsibility to ensure that a joint health and safety committee for the Fire Hall meets regularly. Why was the last meeting in September of 2017? 8) Do you think itis the Fire Chief's responsibility to address health and safety issues within the department? Did you know all of the health and safety deficiencies existed before the borrowing referendum? Do you wonder why they were not given a priority until the referendum was defeated?