Powell River’s local governments are proceeding with capital projects, despite not receiving funding from BC’s Towns for Tomorrow program.
Powell River Regional District had applied for $400,000 to go toward a new Northside Volunteer Fire Department fire hall. While its grant application was not successful, staff proposed a new budget for the project. The budget amendment included using an additional $19,260 from the community works funds for a total of $96,260, increasing the transfer from reserves to $172,459 and increasing borrowing to $649,592. Borrowing up to that amount had been approved for the project.
Directors agreed with staff’s recommendation and passed a motion at the June board meeting to endorse the new fire hall budget.
City of Powell River had applied to Towns for Tomorrow for $375,000 for sidewalks, paths and trails. Stan Westby, the city’s chief administrative officer, said there is $500,000 in the sidewalk reserve account. According to his report presented at the June 16 council meeting, design of the projects is in progress and construction is planned for the last half of 2011.
The total project value for the Towns for Tomorrow program was $500,000. If the city had been successful in its application, its share of the project would have been $125,000.
The province announced on June 10 that it awarded $17.2 million to 47 projects in the final round of grants from the Towns for Tomorrow program.
