An initiative to request City of Powell River to contribute community works funds to the resource-recovery centre was defeated by the qathet Regional District finance committee.
At the committee’s December 8 meeting, Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne brought forward a motion recommending that the board chair send a letter requesting the city to contribute its fair share of community works funds toward the resource-recovery centre.
Gisborne said the centre is a valuable asset for this community, but the regional district only gets community works funds for the electoral area residents. He said the municipality gets its own portion of community works funds.
“If we are taking $600,000 from electoral area community works funds towards the resource-recovery centre, it would be potentially fair and equitable for the municipality to provide $500,000 to $600,000 in community works funds towards the project,” said Gisborne. “This [motion] is just asking to send a letter and the municipality can decide whether or not to participate and share some of those community works funds. If they don’t want to, then, that is their prerogative. I don’t see harm in asking.”
City director CaroleAnn Leishman said for the board’s information, she has confirmed that in the 2022 city budget, the city has allocated $483,831 for its shared portion of the new road going into the resource-recovery centre, as well as $963,022, which is to upgrade the water main to service the entire site.
“The city has $1,446,853 allocated in the 2022 budget for the resource-recovery centre site,” said Leishman.
Finance committee chair and city director George Doubt said the city is paying its fair share.
“To suggest that the regional district suggests that the city is not is improper,” said Doubt. “The regional district has no right to suggest to the City of Powell River how the city should use community works funds, any more than the city would write a letter and tell the regional district how to allocate its community works fund.
“I know the city, in 2022, is paying at least as much as director Leishman has pointed out to construct the road and have access to the resource-recovery centre, and spending another significant amount of money to provide sewer and water services to keep the system going. I’m against sending this letter. I think it’s inappropriate.”
Board chair and Electoral Area A director Patrick Brabazon said as chair of the board he would do as directed by the board but he would be embarrassed to affix his signature to a letter that simply said “pay up your fair share,” without any definition of what a fair share would be.
“I’m quite happy to see this defeated,” said Brabazon.
Gisborne said the resolution is to try and get the discussion going about equitable use of community works funds.
“If the regional district’s community works fund is going to go for items like the resource-recovery centre, or other shared services that are inside the city limits, then, in order to be equitable, perhaps the regional district should maybe ask the Union of BC Municipalities to change how they provide community works funding,” said Gisborne. “We are increasingly using these funds for shared services. I’m okay with that, but I think the municipality should contribute their portion.”
Gisborne voted in favour of the motion, with the rest of the committee opposed, so the motion failed.
