Community gardens are coming to Kimberley and Feversham this year.
Grey Highlands council at its meeting on May 17 approved a recommendation to move ahead with establishing community gardens in Kimberley and Feversham. Council originally set a $20,000 budget for the project in 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic put the plans on hold and staff decided to use 2021 as a planning year for the project.
“There is a lot of enthusiasm, it’s a very positive step,” said councillor Cathy Little.
“Members of the Kimberley Community Association are collaborating with local food experts and have developed a plan to focus on the educational aspects of gardening, which will also include sessions on food preservation at harvest time. Organizers have determined that the garden will be communal in nature, with yields donated to local food banks. The garden in Kimberley will be planted with berry bushes, fruit trees, as well as raised beds,” said Manager of Parks and Recreation Krista House, in a report to council. “The Feversham Park Committee is pursuing a raised bed, plot-based system and will establish a lottery to allocate raised garden beds to members of the community. There will be no charge to community members who are granted a garden bed for the season. Gardeners will plant and tend their own individual beds for personal consumption, with any excess yields donated to local food banks.”
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Grey Highlands council has approved the purchase of a Kioti Mechron 2200PS utility vehicle at a cost of $25,950, plus taxes.
The vehicle will be used for flower watering and general parks and trail maintenance. Council also approved purchasing a water tank and pump for the vehicle at a maximum cost of $3,000.
This was the second-lowest quote the municipality received for the vehicle, but was chosen because of its availability on the lot and warranty.
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Grey Highlands council has approved a draft version of a new procurement policy and has asked staff to bring a bylaw to adopt the policy for consideration.
Grey Highlands decided to review its existing procurement policy in 2019. The current guidelines were passed in 2007 and were becoming outdated. Municipal staff have been reviewing and developing a new policy over the past two years.
The draft policy, if adopted by council, would increase the amounts municipal department heads are able to spend without seeking council approval.
The limits in the existing policy are:
- $2,000 or less: department head or designated employee may purchase directly
- $2,000 to $10,000: department head may purchase after obtaining three written quotations
- $10,000 to $50,000: council awards after staff have obtained and presented three written quotations
- $50,000 and over: council awards after results of the Tender or Request for Proposals are presented
The proposed limits in the draft policy are:
- $20,000 or less: department head or designated employee may purchase directly
- $20,000 to $50,000: department head may purchase after obtaining three written quotations or proposals
- $50,000 and over: council awards after results of the Tender or Request for Proposals are presented
