Small pay raise
Powell River Regional District directors will see a slight rise in their remuneration for 2013.
At the December board meeting, directors adopted an amendment to the directors’ remuneration and expenses bylaw that incorporates a 0.8 per cent cost of living increase to their annual indemnities.
Directors are entitled to an annual rate increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for BC/Vancouver. The increase in the CPI for the preceding 12-month period ending September 30, 2012, was 0.8 per cent. Staff projected the CPI increase would result in a total of $505 additional costs.
Rural directors will receive $9,520 in 2013, up from $9,449. Municipal directors will receive $6,798 in 2013, up from $6,746 in 2012.
The regional board chair will receive a premium of $6,834 in 2013, up from $6,783.
The director from Electoral Area E, Lasqueti Island, receives a premium, which in 2013 will be $1,572, up from $1,561.
No changes were made to meeting allowances, which are $100 for standing committee meetings up to five hours, $75 for meetings, other than standing committee meetings up to five hours and $180 for any meeting over five hours. No meeting allowances are paid for regular board meetings.
Directors also have expense allowances, which are 52 cents per kilometre and a per diem allowance of $100 a day. They were not changed either.
The total remuneration for all regional district elected officials in 2011 was $106,238, while expenses totalled $33,786.
School projects advance
Many changes are taking place at Westview Elementary School, said Steve Hopkins, secretary treasurer of School District 47, during his monthly report at Powell River Board of Education’s meeting on Tuesday, January 15.
Both the regular playground equipment and the kindergarten playground are in place, he said. The last phase in completing the playground is laying the recycled rubber surfaces down.
Contractors are busy finishing up the exterior landscaping by laying sod, planting trees and creating sidewalks. Inside, progress has continued with contractors doing the millwork and installing some of the natural wood detail. Hopkins said he expects work to continue through to mid-March before the current students and faculty of Grief Point Elementary School move in.
At Haywire Bay, four of the seven cabins have been finished and the site has already seen some limited use by students. Hopkins said they’re still working through some of the bugs and that some of the landscaping will be completed in the spring. The last three cabins and a dock remain to be finished.
Renovation involving residing Oceanview Education Centre is on schedule and expected to be completed in the spring.
