qathet Regional District electoral area directors were strongly opposed to using regional district community works funds to offset overruns on the new resource-recovery centre.
At the September 25 regional district board meeting, directors, in the agenda, had a recommendation that the board approve a budget increase of up to $2.5 million for the centre, which was known as option one in a staff report.
Immediately, City of Powell River director George Doubt brought forward a motion for option two in the report, which outlined the prospect of spending $1.4 million from the regional district’s Canada Community-Building Fund, and borrowing up to $1.1 million to fund completion of the resource-recovery centre. City alternate director Trina Isakson seconded the motion.
Doubt said there were funds available in the fund and he would prefer to use them.
“It’s an appropriate use for those funds and that will minimize the results of taxation increases that everyone in the regional district will have to pay,” said Doubt. “It brings it down from a higher amount to $1.1 million, which is still significant. It’s a difference to use the grant funding to ease the burden on the taxpayers.”
Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne spoke in opposition to option two.
“I’m going to make it very clear – the community works funds are given to the regional district based on the electoral area population,” said Gisborne. “This is not given to the regional district for the whole regional district’s population [which would include the city], just the electoral areas.
“The municipality gets their own community works funds. The municipality has enough money to match our contribution from the electoral areas. I would be happy to contribute electoral area community works funds at a matching rate with the municipality. That’s fair, reasonable and equitable.”
Gisborne said the vote on the matter was a weighted vote, and with four votes going to Doubt and three to Isakson, there were enough votes for the city to outweigh the electoral area votes.
Gisborne said if that is the route that is going to happen, he was going to reference advice he received from former regional district director Colin Palmer, who indicated that if this situation ever comes up and the electoral areas can’t stop it, if four electoral area directors get up and leave the room, the regional board assembly no longer has a quorum, and the municipal directors are not able to take the electoral area funding.
Electoral Area D director Sandy McCormick said she echoed Gisborne’s comments.
“I believe community works funds belong to the electoral areas,” said McCormick. “I can’t support this motion, as much as I hate to add to the financial burden that we are already incurring for the resource-recovery centre.”
Electoral Area E director Andrew Fall said he also could not support the motion on the table. He said to take all the money in the fund and use a weighted vote is a strong-handed approach.
“It’s really unfair to the electoral areas,” said Fall. “I find it outrageous that this motion is on the table before us.”
Electoral Area A director Jason Lennox said he would add a hard no to the discussion.
Electoral Area C director and regional board chair Clay Brander said this was a heavy-handed approach and it could have repercussions down the line.
Isakson said it was presumptuous for other directors to know how she would vote on the matter. She said she was listening to the conversations.
“I am leaning toward not supporting this motion but I would be curious to hear any rebuttal points from director Doubt that could help me further clarify my thinking,” said Isakson.
Gisborne put forward a motion to postpone the matter to a future regional board meeting. He said if the motion passes, he would have his constituents screaming at him about taking the money, and they would be asking to terminate the regional district’s Powell River Recreation Complex funding agreement.
Doubt said he was not in favour of postponing the motion.
“We should deal with it,” added Doubt.
Isakson said her decision on whether to postpone the decision depended on her checking on whether a piece of information at the city level was open or closed. She said she wanted to consult with Doubt about the matter, so a five-minute recess was called.
After the recess, Isakson said she wanted to remind the board that it made a previous request to the city for community works funding for this project and the city declined the opportunity. She said she didn’t support the motion to postpone.
When Brander called for the vote to be postponed, it carried. The matter will be discussed further at a future regional board meeting.
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