The Municipal Regional District Tax (MRDT) – also known as the hotel tax – has “essentially dropped off a cliff,” according to Sunshine Coast Tourism (SCT) executive director Paul Kamon, leaving the organization in a lurch, along with other tourism-dependent businesses on the Sunshine Coast.
Because the MRDT is SCT’s primary source of funding, “we are anticipating a major financial hit to our organization over the next six months,” Kamon told directors in a March 26 corporate and administrative services committee delegation.
He told directors he is laying off all part-time staff and has placed a hiring freeze for anticipated positions. The organization is looking for bridge funding. “We’re essentially running out of funding very quickly, but at the same time the work we need to do is becoming more and more important, particularly around recovery and communications,” he said.
SCT is also working with the Sunshine Coast Regional Economic Development Organization to survey needs of local businesses.
COVID causing dump delays
More time at home has meant more time for home improvement, and while that’s good for homeowners, it’s leading to a “significant increase” in the number of people using the Sechelt Landfill. “They clearly have time to clean out their sheds,” said infrastructure services manager Remko Rosenboom at a March 26 meeting.
The influx of dumpers is not only causing delays but “is increasing the potential community spread and exposure to staff at the landfill,” said Rosenboom. N95 masks, gloves and safe working procedures are in place, according to staff, but to limit risk, the SCRD is now encouraging people to “only make essential trips.”
“If they clean their shed, just clean it up and put some stuff in the corner instead of throwing it in the back of the truck and driving it to the landfill,” Rosenboom said.
Snow depths average
Snow depth data collected at Chapman and Edwards Lake during the first week of March show that snowpack levels are comparable to the 10-year average.
Snow depth at the Chapman snow course was 272 cm, three centimetres below the average. The Edwards snow course depth was two centimetres above the 10-year average of 199 cm.
Infrastructure services manager Remko Rosenboom said sunny weather is expected to last until the end of March, with warmer temperatures and more precipitation expected in April, considered the most important month for predicting snowmelt.
The Chapman snow course (1,022 metres) weather station was broken for several weeks this winter, Rosenboom said. The two-year-old station is operated by a research organization and has since been fixed.
SCRD advocates for storm water management
A follow-up letter is headed to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) regarding storm water management after CAO Dean McKinley and SCRD chair Lori Pratt attended a meeting in Victoria with a MOTI representative in February to discuss a rash of stormwater-related issues that cropped up this winter.
