Joint Use Agreement
The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) and School District No. 46 (SD46) are a big step closer to a new joint use agreement. The agreement would cover use of facilities like school gyms and recreation centre meeting rooms for programs run by the other organization.
Gibsons director Silas White, a former SD46 board chair, welcomed the corporate and administrative services committee’s approval of the draft terms. “We’ve operated for a long time on the Sunshine Coast with imperfect and out of date joint use agreements, and we’ve reached a point where I think a lot of joint use discussion and opportunities are held up … It’s great to have this,” said White, who sat on the joint use committee.
SCRD chair Garry Nohr echoed those thoughts. “It’s been going around in circles for so many years, it’s really good to see another thing I can get marked off my bucket list.”
SD46 trustees will discuss the draft terms of the new agreement at the October meeting of their operations committee.
Area A Library
The SCRD will look into the idea of a formal Library Function for Area A.
Currently, ratepayers in Pender Harbour contribute to the Sechelt Public Library and the Pender Harbour Reading Room through a grant-in-aid, which gets set each year.
Creating a Library Function would allow the SCRD to tax specifically for the library and the reading room and have a “contract for service” similar to the agreement that governs how library funding flows from other electoral areas.
A staff report presented at the Sept. 22 corporate and administrative services committee meeting says a Library Function would “ensure funding availability for libraries in the long term, as well as for transparency in budgeting.” It also points out that grants-in-aid are not intended for long-term core funding for a service.
A bylaw for an Alternative Approval Process on establishing the Library Function will likely be introduced this year.
SCRD’s 50th Anniversary
The SCRD is getting ready to mark a major milestone. The regional district was created in 1967 by letters patent issued by the minister of municipal affairs. The first official board meeting was Jan. 12, 1967. It was one of 27 regional districts established by the province.
The SCRD will celebrate its 50th anniversary the same year Canada turns 150.
The SCRD’s corporate and administrative services committee endorsed plans for a special committee to lead the celebrations. The committee would include community leaders, at least one elected official, and SCRD staff.
CAO Janette Loveys also told the committee that grant money may be available to help cover the costs, and there would also be “a modest 2017 budget proposal” coming forward.
