Sunshine Coast Tourism (SCT) has requested $7,200 in funding from the Town of Gibsons for destination marketing activities.
The request was made during council’s committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
This figure is only part of their funding request, which is spread through all four local governments on the Coast, for a total of $43,000.
In the past, SCT has sought funding through the provincial Communities Tourism Opportunities Fund from Destination BC, which has provided up to $25,000 for a 50/50 matching grants fund. It is as yet unknown whether Destination BC will be providing funding to the Coast this year.
The program is eliminating Vancouver and the Coast and Mountain Tourism region from its eligible recipients due to the two per cent municipal and regional district sales tax used by vacation accommodation sites in certain areas.
The two per cent tax, known as the hotel tax, is not in effect on the Sunshine Coast, but the SCT is also applying to have the hotel tax applied regionally to the entire Sunshine Coast.
Procedures bylaw
Updates to the council procedural bylaws came back this week to council in draft form for review before being finalized.
The aim of the changes is to make the bylaws more concise and more accessible to the public and council.
Presented by corporate officer Selina Williams, council reviewed the changes and made a few alterations at its committee of the whole meeting.
Those alterations include: that regular council meetings need to be adjourned by 9:30 p.m. at the latest, unless extenuating circumstances lead council to opt for an extension; speaking audience members at council meetings no longer need to identify their home address, but must instead state their name and residing municipality (the language for this is still being ironed out); and instead of a maximum of three delegations, now two are allowed with a maximum time limit of 10 minutes each with an additional five-minute question period.
Scouts flag
The Gibsons Boy Scout troop presented council with a request to fly the Scout flag during Scout Week, Feb. 15 to 22. The request was approved. The green and yellow flag bearing a fleur de lis with the motto “Be Prepared” will be raised at town hall during Scout Week.
