Powell River Regional District will consider amendments to the 2014-2018 financial plan at its November meeting.
At the November 13 committee of the whole meeting, Linda Greenan, manager of financial services, said what was before the committee was a culmination of all of the financial plan amendments that have been approved during 2014.
“During the year, whenever a capital item needs an amendment, it is always brought to the board and they are approved, but they don’t actually get a formal amendment until this time of year, when we do them all at once,” she said.
She said the report also contains some amendments that the regional board had not yet approved but had been notified of them.
Greenan’s report listed adjustments by service in the regional district’s financial plan amendments. Some highlights of her report included:
• General administration—the district increased the budget to account for $15,536 of salary and wage adjustments approved after budget adoption as a result of the Canadian Union of Public Employees’ contract settlement during the year.
• Reallocation of funding from contingency to account for $7,500 greater than anticipated consulting costs to complete the regional district’s accountability review.
• Electoral area feasibility studies—the board approved $124,200 to the Lund Waterworks Improvement District. A transfer of $93,150, or 75 per cent, was made from the Community Works Fund to Lund waterworks, with the final 25 per cent projected to pay out in 2015.
• Regional emergency preparedness—a $25,000 allocation to purchase a generator for which there are a number of electrical upgrades that need to be completed. Greenan said it had been requested to reallocate the funds to be used next year if the infrastructural issues are sorted out.
• Library services—the contribution from Tla’amin (Sliammon) Nation was larger than projected. Greenan said that contribution had to be recognized in order to transfer the money to the city.
• Waste management—the regional district received $18,032 from the sale of scrap metal from the scrap metal cleanup on Lasqueti Island. For the mainland and Texada Island areas, there were unexpected revenues that will be in the budgets going forward including $9,855 projected revenues associated with advertising in the Waste Wise Guide and $12,180 additional Multi-Material BC incentives projected as a result of the in-town recycling centre.
• Community recreation—$3,315 in revenue from the sale of trees during the development of the Lasqueti Arts Centre parking lot.
• North Side Fire Department—$8,300 was reallocated for the purchase of a compressed air foam unit. There was also $13,000 of additional transfer from the reserve fund and elimination of new lease financing to purchase a used water tender.
• Myrtle Pond Water system—an additional $87,928 of Community Works money was allocated for upgrades.
• Lund sewer system—a request to reallocate funds for professional fees to undertake an engineering assessment of the system.
• Texada Island Recreation Commission—transfer of $19,751 from reserve to allow for $9,000 anticipated costs to pave the farmers’ market entrance. Also $10,751 has been approved from reserve for the projected actual costs to complete the upgrade of the community hall.
Greenan said Texada airport operations have undergone a lot of changes transferring it to the aerodrome model and $6,197 needs to be transferred from non-statutory reserve to fund operations in 2014 only.
Al Radke, regional district chief administrative officer, said the financial details help illustrate the regional district’s transparency regarding the books.
“More importantly, when it comes to the annual audit, these will help to support the auditors’ work in that they will be able to see the justification in moving the moneys around,” Radke said. “This delivers the facts to the auditors.”
