Sechelt council has decided to tap the district’s reserves for more than $2.3 million to fund new projects this year, with the biggest portion – $859,950 – earmarked for road works.
The large expenditure on roads will see $275,000 spent to fix retaining walls on Marine Way and Fairway Avenue, $221,950 to pave portions of Sechelt Inlet Road, $98,000 spent on designing Trail Avenue improvements and $265,000 used to start a paving program, as identified in the 2015 McElhanney report.
“The McElhanney report recommended over the next five years that we spend $10 million on our roads, and if you look at the budget, we simply do not have those resources. So it’s put this council in a real pickle,” Coun. Noel Muller said at a committee meeting on Feb. 10, noting more “drastic action” will have to be taken by council in the future.
“I really encourage anybody who’s interested in the District of Sechelt finances to get a hold of that McElhanney report and really have a good look at it and understand what it’s saying.”
Councillors cut the proposed funding for district vehicle and equipment replacement to $150,000 from $267,000 at the prompting of Coun. Doug Wright, who said Sechelt didn’t “have a handle” on its vehicle and equipment replacement costs.
Muller was in favour of the reduced budget, saying savings had to be found for future road works because “that’s the reality that we have to live in.”
“I think this council really needs to take that rock on the head and really start to govern with that knowledge,” Muller said.
Councillors Darren Inkster and Darnelda Siegers were against the cut to vehicle and equipment replacement, with Siegers asking which vehicle and equipment replacement expenditures identified by staff should be shelved.
“Quite frankly, it’s up to the administration to tell me which ones they want to recommend,” Wright said. “It’s not my job to tell them which pieces of equipment to buy. I’m just going to ask them to look at a certain amount of money.”
When the question was called, all but Siegers and Inkster were in favour and the $150,000 amount for vehicle and equipment replacement was passed.
Councillors approved $138,000 in new funding for parks and community infrastructure, with $73,000 going to Kinnikinnick Park baseball lighting, $50,000 to the Davis Bay float, and $15,000 for Coracle Beach access.
New funding of $70,000 was approved for a new boiler at municipal hall and for some preliminary work on the new public works/parks building.
A total of $75,000 was approved for airport runway resurfacing and drainage works and $302,150 was approved under the heading of information and communication technology, to be used for things like redesigning the district’s website, purchasing and upgrading district computers and enhancing the district’s IT infrastructure.
A total of $158,156 was approved for a new highway crossing in Davis Bay near Chapman Creek and $225,000 was approved for sewer collection.
The $225,000 in new funding will be spent on a safety upgrade for the Onni lift station and forcemain, replacing the Wakefield lift station emergency pump and funding new sewer connections on Sechelt Inlet Road.
And $334,500 was approved for one-time projects like the District of Sechelt’s 30th anniversary celebrations this year, a downtown revitalization/gathering place study, a sustainability plan, a parks master plan and a complete DCC bylaw review.
The full list of new funding expenditures OK’d by council can be found in detail in the Feb. 10 finance, culture and economic development committee agenda.
Sechelt’s interim chief financial officer, Linda Klassen, said the new expenditures will be funded through reserves, leaving the reserve balance for the District of Sechelt at $12 million going forward.
Sechelt council is currently in the midst of 2016 budget discussions and an e-town hall meeting to discuss the draft budget is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1 at 7 p.m. at the municipal hall, 5797 Cowrie St.
The public is invited to attend in person or watch the budget discussion live on the District’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/SecheltMedia.
Questions and feedback from the public can be submitted by way of the district’s online feedback form, found under Sechelt’s 2016 Budget Discussion page at www.sechelt.bc.ca
During the e-town hall meeting, questions can also be asked via Sechelt’s Facebook page and through Twitter using #SecheltBudget.
