Adopts council pay increase bylaw
At its February 16 meeting council adopted the bylaw that will provide an increase to councillor and mayor pay. The bylaw sets the annual rate at 58 per cent of the average income of a city resident.
Purchases garbage trucks
The purchase of the city’s two new split-bin garbage trucks with automated arms was confirmed at the February 16 meeting. The contract for $684,796 plus tax was awarded to Calgary’s Raymax Equipment Sales.
Amends grants-in-aid policy
Council approved changes to its grants-in-aid policy to reduce the number of application intakes to one per year, down from two last year. The change was made because all funds budgeted for cash grants were expended in the spring, with nothing left for the summer intake. The deadline for 2017 grants is March 31.
Establishes review panel
A review process has been created to ensure that sewer information in City of Powell River’s property tax roll is accurate. City council voted to establish a sewer parcel tax review panel at its Thursday, February 16, meeting. City chief financial officer Kathleen Day told council the practice is standard in many communities throughout the province and gives homeowners the opportunity to request an amendment to their sewer parcel taxes if one is justified. Only properties that currently are, or could be serviced, by city sewer are charged the frontage fee, based on the length of the front of their lot. The city collected $1.85 million in sewer-related parcel taxes in 2016.
