City of Powell River Council has given approval for three projects at Powell River Airport
At the February 27 special council meeting, chief administrative officer Lisa Bhopalsingh said a request was being made for reallocation of some funds from the community economic recovery infrastructure program (CERIP) to allow for capping of the airport landfill, plus some paving improvements.
“It’s basically your permission to get us to proceed with a reallocation that has been approved in principle by CERIP, that unused funds can be used to improve various components of the airport on the air side, and also the parking area.”
Acting director of infrastructure Rod Fraser said this is a fantastic opportunity for the city to utilize some grant funds. He said it was close to $800,000, where the city can do some of the work that had been planned for 2028, fully funded by the CERIP grant.
Councillor Cindy Elliott asked if there was a deadline to completes the projects, and whether the city was able to meet those deadlines. Fraser said there is a deadline, which is the end of June, to use the funds.
Councillor Trina Isakson said given that the projects were related to the 2024 and 2025 financial plans, what would be the implications for the financial planning process this year and potential tax increases?
“If we do this or don’t do this, what is currently in the plan, and how might this change taxation levels?” asked Isakson.
City chief financial officer Mallory Denniston said what is being seen is in 2028 and 2029, there could be a need to use the infrastructure reserve fund for the actual construction of capping the landfill. She said the project is estimated at $1.5 million. She said the city is looking into whether the community works fund could fund this.
“Right now, because its 2028 and 2029, we are working on building up that infrastructure reserve,” said Denniston. “We are hoping to use that for the costs we know will be coming down. There is some funding that cuts into some savings for building improvements. We wouldn’t increase taxes at this point.”
Isakson asked what would need to be done by June 2025.
Fraser said what was being proposed is three projects in one. One is the design for the landfill capping, using best practices and environmental standards.
Fraser said it was originally budgeted, but proved to be too expensive, to extend the runway over the landfill, so the shift is to design a simple cap for the landfill, which will need to be funded in the future.
The other pieces are paving of the airport apron and also the parking lot.
Fraser added that the actual capping part of the landfill will be in the future.
In a motion, council directed staff to amend the city’s 2024 five-year financial plan bylaw for the airport runway extension phase one project, to be replaced by three projects: the airport paving in 2024 for $760,000, funded by CERIP; airport runway 27 end landfill capping design 2024, for $40,127, funded by CERIP; the airport runway 27 end landfill capping construction in 2026, for $1.5 million, funded by the city buildings and infrastructure reserve; that the coming draft of the City of Powell River 2025 to 2029 financial plan bylaw be updated to remove the airport runway and taxiway paving for $400,000 in 2028 and airport parking lot paving for $400,000 in 2029; and that these changes be reflected as carry-forward projects in the coming draft 2025 to 2029 financial plan bylaw without increasing the property tax levy. The motion carried unanimously.
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