Councillors on Sechelt’s committee of the whole have recommended early budget approval of most the capital projects presented at their Jan. 23 meeting, but new office furniture for municipal hall didn’t make the cut.
The biggest expenditure was four projects related to the Trail Avenue realignment, including the storm drain work, which totalled about $7 million.
Among the smaller projects the committee supported was a $200,000 repair to the roof on the RCMP building, although Coun. Tom Lamb was not happy that the roof needs work only 15 years into its lifespan.
Director of finance Doug Stewart said the original “living roof” has proven problematic and was removed last year. The plan is to replace it with torch-on style coating.
“This kinda stuff really upsets me, when we build these architectural monuments to somebody … and when they don’t work, guess what happens? The District of Sechelt is on the hook for it,” said Lamb.
In the end, though, Lamb and the rest of committee of the whole voted in favour.
The committee also endorsed spending $200,000 to have solids removed from the sewage lagoons at the Dusty Road site, where septic waste from haulers across the Coast is dumped. The work will be covered from the sewer capital reserve, but many councillors also said they’d like to see the finance department review the fees for dumping to ensure cost recovery.
The installation of $18,000 worth of wildlife-resistant garbage cans was also approved after staff explained they wanted to get the project underway before bears start becoming more active.
The request for early approval of $110,000 for a new dump truck also got the nod of committee members.
Spending $55,000 on new office furniture for the municipal hall, however, did not.
“Relative to my bank account we’re being asked to look at a large amount of money… I won’t be supporting early approval for this,” said Coun. Brenda Rowe.
Coun. Matt McLean was the lone vote against the proposal for a $253,000
permanent outdoor stage at Hackett Park.
A grant application is already in the works to cover all but $67,500. Stewart said early approval would show council support for the project, and if the grant does not come through the whole proposal would come back to council.
McLean, who voted against submitting the grant application at a previous council meeting, said instead of a new stage, the district should encourage use of the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts facility in Rockwood Park.
“The stage at Rockwood is fully available for community groups to book,” he said. “We have an underutilized outdoor stage – I don’t think we have to spend $67,000 to get another one that could be underutilized as well.”
The committee also endorsed earmarking $52,000 for Community Investment Program grants.
According to Stewart’s written report, $320,479 for the early requests will be funded through the general capital reserve and a further $513,200 from the capital reserve will be required to fund the remainder of the proposed 2019 capital budget.
The draft budget calls for three per cent out of the proposed 11.8 per cent increase to raise $750,000 to go into those capital reserves.
