The District of Sechelt is going to dip into its gas tax reserve to cover the balance of the airport runway and resurfacing project after learning the project does not qualify for money from the Island Coastal Economic Trust.
A provincial grant of $1,040,585 will cover the bulk of the cost, and $346,865 will have to come out of the gas tax money.
“Through discussion with the Island Economic Trust, staff determined that, because the District does not have an airport economic strategy, it is not ready to pursue the infrastructure funding grant opportunity and would likely be denied a grant from Island Economic Trust,” director of finance Doug Stewart said in a written report for the June 19 council meeting.
Stewart also told councillors that the federal government’s move to increase the gas tax revenue to municipalities means the district won’t have to put any other gas tax funded initiatives on hold.
And, “With further development of a strategy to execute economic development opportunities at the airport, we could, at a later date, potentially qualify for up to $400,000 of Island Economic Trust Infrastructure funding.”
Mayor Darnelda Siegers said the new airport committee will likely have a role in forming the strategic plan.
Coun. Matt McLean suggested the future of drag racing at the airport, and the Sunshine Coast Drag Racing Association’s (SCRDA) offer to coordinate its starting area work with the runway improvement project, be added to the airport committee’s discussions.
The SCRDA recently wrote council asking for a meeting “to discuss our continued future at the Sechelt Airport.”
“We fully support the runway resurfacing and extension plan for the Sechelt Airport,” SCRDA executives said in the letter. “In February of this year, we proposed to the District of Sechelt and council to make improvements to the starting area at the threshold of runway 11… The SCDRA can complete this project during the resurfacing and runway extension project without any or minimal impact to airport operations.”
