qathet Regional District’s (qRD) board of directors has voted to go to the public in an asset vote (referendum) for borrowing for the northside recreation centre in Lund.
At the March 22 regional board meeting, directors considered a five-part recommendation after an alternative approval process for the centre failed, leaving the loan authorization bylaw for the project in limbo.
The bylaw seeks to borrow up to $1.1 million to renovate the community centre located on Larson Road. The regional district has received a commitment of nearly $4.2 million from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program for the project, with the northside community recreation service area voters having to approve borrowing for the remainder to proceed.
According to a certification of results for alternative approval process, there was an estimated number of eligible electors of 1,063, and 109 elector response forms were received, representing 10.3 per cent of the validly submitted forms, which recorded a negative vote for the project to proceed. In order for the alternative approval process to allow for the project to proceed, responses from 10 per cent or less of the eligible electorate were allowable.
The regional board voted to accept the results of the alternative approval process.
Directors then voted unanimously that the board have the regional district go to the public within 80 days of March 6 to ask eligible voters to borrow up to $1.1 million with interest, over an amortization period of up to 30 years, to construct an addition and renovate the centre.
Manager of financial services Linda Greenan, in response to a question about contingency funds for the proposed project, said there was a 20 per cent contingency written into the proposal, and regarding the proposed borrowing amount, she said donations for the project had been committed, so borrowing would be less than $1.1 million.
City director Cindy Elliott asked what the regional district is planning to do to get the information out to the eligible electorate.
Manager of administrative services Michelle Jones said there has been significant information shared with the community already.
“We do everything we can to share information with the community,” added Jones. “In this case there are requirements to put notices in the newspaper, and with the alternative approval process, a lot of information went out, with a neighbourhood mailout and a public information session. Our goal is to share information with the people who are going to vote.”
Jones said she was not entirely sure that the regional district would conduct a mailout for the assent vote, but it did for the alternative approval process.
City director George Doubt said he is in favour of a mailout to make sure everybody is aware of what is going on.
The board then approved the wording of notices associated with the assent vote, and the appointment of Jones as chief election officer and Esme Sturton as deputy chief election officer.
Mailout costs
The final recommendation was the approval of reducing the planned 2023 contribution to reserve funding by $17,000 to cover the estimated cost of the assent vote and 2022 operating deficit.
Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne asked if the regional district was to do a mailout regarding the assent vote, whether $17,000 would be enough.
Jones said the majority of costs for the vote is staffing and the issuance of public notices. She said sending out neighbourhood ad mail is not a huge cost.
Electoral Area A director Jason Lennox said his understanding is that $10,000 was to be allocated toward the assent vote and the remainder would be to cover the 2022 deficit. Greenan confirmed that was the case.
Elliott said she supported the idea of mailouts.
“It would be really good if each voter received mail saying this is the day you should go do this,” added Elliott.
Lennox, who represents the Lund voters, said they need accurate information to make an informed decision.
The board voted unanimously in favour of the financial recommendation.
