Budget adopted
Gibsons council voted on final adoption of the 2016 budget and associated bylaws at the May 3 regular meeting.
The five-year financial plan was approved unanimously, with no amendments from the third reading.
Taxes will be going up 3.5 per cent, meaning an extra $30 dollars on a $360,000 residential property (the average assessment in Gibsons). The “business rate multiplier” for 2016 will be 2.79, down from the 2.82 in 2015.
The budget also includes increases in water and sewer fees, including a new $21.50 bulk water parcel tax, a two per cent increase in the existing parcel tax, a 20 per cent increase in the charge for meter rental, and a 10 per cent increase in the water rate itself. Sewer fees are going up seven per cent.
Grants of assistance
In another budget-related move, council approved $12,000 in grants of assistance. The grants included $1,500 to the Coast Cultural Alliance, $1,500 for the Restorative Justice Program, $3,000 for two different programs under the Community Services Society, and $2,500 to the Gibsons Elementary PAC for playground improvements.
Council is also looking at possible changes to the grants of assistance policy.
Right now the Town budgets for $20,000 per year in grants, and takes applications for March 15 and Sept. 15 deadlines. Town staff say most applications come in at the March 15 deadline, and applications usually exceed the budget, making for some difficult decisions for council.
Smoking and sign bylaw penalties
Although the bylaws haven’t been adopted yet, council also voted May 3 to give first reading to an amendment to the Bylaw Enforcement Notice (BEN) bylaw, outlining proposed fines under new smoking and sign bylaws.
Most fines under the smoking bylaw would be $100, with the exception of “obstructing an official” which would carry a penalty of $300.
Fines under the amended sign bylaw would range from $100 to $200.
Loan authorization
Gibsons officials are hoping to borrow $392,000 for roadwork this year. At the May 3 meeting, council passed three readings of a loan authorization bylaw, which still has to go through an Alternate Approval Process (AAP).
The AAP is needed because the loan term would be 10 years.
The projects that would be paid for under the loan are: Hillcrest Road realignment at $30,000, Hillcrest Road drainage at $68,000, resurfacing on Hillcrest and some other roads at $244,000, and rehabilitation of four lanes in the Parkland development at $50,000.
