After lengthy debate, City of Powell River councillors decided not to include $800,000 worth of city capital projects in the Powell River Community Forest spring 2024 grants.
At the June 6 city council meeting, councillors considered the spring grant allocation from a staff report that had two options for councillors to vote on. The first option contained an allocation of $700,000 to cap the landfill at Powell River Airport, with the long-term goal of extending the airport runway. The second was $107,600 for the crosswalk at Alberni Street and Ontario Avenue, and another at Larry Gouthro Park, to increase public safety.
Chief administrative officer Lisa Bhopalsingh said the first option for councillors to consider included the recommendations from Powell River Community Forest (PRCF), plus the two city-owned properties. She said there was also an amendment to the recommended $100,000 grant for the Townsite triangle gardens.
Bhopalsingh said the second option involved the changing of the funding source for the airport and crosswalks projects from the community forest reserve fund to the Canada Community Building Fund, which would have some tax implications.
Councillor Cindy Elliott moved the first option, including the airport and crosswalks projects. The option also involved deferring $2.8 million of funding for the aquatic centre roof at Powell River Recreation Complex from 2024 to 2025.
PRCF president Greg Hemphill outlined the city’s community forest bylaw. He said the community forest had been allocating grants for 16 years and this was the first time the board had come with a set of recommendations where there was an alternate set coming from staff.
“That was a bit of a surprise to us,” said Hemphill. “We thought we’d hashed that out. We were caught a little bit off guard.
“There were two city projects we didn’t believe fit into the intent of the community forest reserve fund bylaw. The bylaw has been around since 2008 and it has stood the test of time.”
Hemphill said the reserve fund was established for the proceeds from the community forest and the idea was the money would be a direct investment back into the community. He said the description is that the money in the Powell River Community Forest Reserve Fund will be used for special community projects that will benefit the community as a whole.
“It’s a recognition that it is not a city fund, it’s for the whole community,” said Hemphill. “The money in the reserve fund is not to be used for city operations or for capital expenditures of a regular nature.
“It’s our view that the two projects [airport and crosswalks] are not something that is intended to be funded from the community forest reserve fund. Those appear to be capital expenditures of a regular nature. There are other resources for capping the airport dump, which is the sale of the timber that was undertaken on behalf of the city by the community forest – $3 million was deposited into reserves to be used on that airport.”
Bhopalsingh said staff were not providing a recommendation to councillors. They had given two options for councillors to consider. She said that staff was leaving this as a political decision.
Hemphill said the community forest board is sympathetic to budget pressures, but the fund isn’t designed to offset increases in costs.
Councillor Jim Palm said the bylaw is clear and explicitly states that capital expenditures of a regular nature do not come from the community forest reserve fund.
“The crosswalks and the capping of that airport are capital projects,” said Palm. “Option one contravenes our bylaw. We have other options for funding. We have the Canada Community Building Fund and the money from taking down trees at the airport. Those funds are substantial.
“The community forest board and their volunteers have put over $30 million to rebuild the city. I can’t thank them enough for what they have done and I won’t contravene the bylaw.”
Councillor Rob Southcott said the city was in greater financial stress than it had been in the past, but he could not support the motion.
Councillors Trina Isakson and Earl Almeida both spoke in favour of the motion. Isakson said she believed the community safety aspect of the crosswalks and the environmental protection of the landfill capping were not of a regular nature.
Councillor George Doubt said he supported the second option as recommended by the community forest, which did not include the airport and crosswalk projects.
Almeida said he didn’t believe adopting option one would be against the bylaw.
The motion for option one was defeated.
Doubt then made a motion to adopt the second option, as proposed by the community forest board. The motion carried, with Isakson and Almeida opposed.
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