City of Powell River council gave early approval to a number of capital projects at the April 5 meeting, including funds to extend the seawalk.
Council approved spending $100,000 to connect the new section of the south harbour to the Wharf at Westview by building a seawalk along the shoreline. As well, it approved $20,000 for habitat enhancements along the seawalk. Funds will come from the community works reserve fund, gas tax money which the city receives from the federal government annually.
Councillor Maggie Hathaway pointed out that it is imperative that people using the new south harbour have a favourable first impression. “You don’t get a second chance,” she said. “Right now people in the new south harbour would have to come up on the highway and walk along a narrow path to get to the wharfinger’s office, which is clearly inappropriate and probably dangerous.”
Councillor Chris McNaughton added residents will be able to walk through the former barge terminal site to the new section of the seawalk, extending the walk from the existing seawalk. “This is being done for the whole community,” he said. “I think everybody who enjoys the seawalk wants to connect to the rest of the walking opportunity, right up almost to the mill.”
The seawalk habitat shoreline enhancement is residual work related to previous waterfront projects, he added.
Council also approved the following water capital projects: engineering to replace the 900-millimetre Haslam Lake feeder main, $150,000; cross-connection control implementation, $30,000; SCADA towers for Haslam Lake ultra-violet treatment facility site and Aspen Avenue booster station, $30,000; dead-end elimination, $25,000; water main replacement program asset management, $50,000; and fire hydrant upgrade, $10,000.
Councillor Jim Palm pointed out the funds for the Haslam Lake feeder main were for engineering only, not to replace the main.
Council approved the following sanitary sewer capital projects: liquid waste management plan stage three, $100,000; sewer sludge bin, $18,500; lift station upgrade program, $150,000; SCADA improvements, $20,000; Wildwood lagoon aerator, $15,000; and asset management, $50,000.
Council approved the following storm sewer capital projects: rain garden at the Powell River Recreation Complex, $50,000 and storm sewer asset management, $30,000.
Funds for these capital projects will come from the water and sewer operating fund reserves, respectively.
As well as capital projects, council approved increasing 2012 water fees and charges by 10 per cent and sewer fees and charges by five per cent.
Palm explained that residents in an average home in Powell River will pay $12 more for sewer fees and $26 more for water fees.
Council also approved the following projects, to be funded from the computer reserve: computer replacement, $20,350; infrastructure policy development, $12,210; server, $11,193; and financial statement template, $20,350.
The following projects, funded through the equipment reserve, were also approved: self-contained breathing apparatus, $39,000; GMC pick-up, $50,000; and equipment for the exercise room at the recreation complex, $24,400.
As well, council approved the following projects, to be funded from the building reserve: re-roofing concourse Area A at the recreation complex, $60,000; RCMP jail cell upgrade, $10,000; RCMP boiler replacement, $35,000; and carpenter shop east wall replacement, $10,000.
Council also approved $17,455 in capital funding and $527,252 in operating funding for Powell River Public Library. The total proposed 2012 library budget is $1,035,914. Councillor Debbie Dee said the capital funding was for facility and computer system upgrades, as well as improving the collection. Powell River Regional District board has already approved its contribution to the library budget, which is $227,907 for operating and $7,545 for capital.
Council also approved $91,910 in operating funding, as well as $26,125 in-kind, for the Powell River Historical Museum and Archives Association.
Meanwhile, council has had a number of in-camera committee-of-the-whole budget meetings to wrestle down an approximately $600,000-deficit in the 2012 budget.
