Golf course
Blue Ocean Golf Club owes the District of Sechelt $42,961 for this year’s lease fees but the District of Sechelt can’t find the lease agreement, staff said during the Aug. 10 finance, culture and economic development committee meeting.
“Although we’re showing the year to date estimate [for lease fees owing] at $42,961, at this point we’ve actually not collected that money nor other monies owing from the golf course,” said director of finance Doug Stewart.
“That’s something I’ll be pursuing shortly.”
Coun. Doug Wright then asked, “Do we in fact have a signed lease for the golf course?”
Stewart responded by saying “I don’t know. I haven’t discovered that.”
Wright said he was actually “glad” to hear Stewart’s response.
“Because I’ve had the same difficulty finding that information.”
DCCs
At the same meeting councillors brought up a few points about the new development cost charge (DCC) bylaw that need to be looked at.
Council plans to increase DCCs in the district and has given three readings to a new bylaw, which has been sent to the Inspector of Municipalities for approval.
Coun. Darnelda Siegers noted she wanted to make sure a policy to guide staff on DCC rebates and credits was set up before council gives fourth reading and final approval to the new bylaw, and also that a policy is set up to guide staff in the collection of DCCs, use of DCC credits and the rebate policy.
“At some point before we are looking to pass that, I’d like to see these so we know that’s all in place,” Siegers said.
Staff noted the policies should be ready for council before the DCC bylaw comes back for adoption in September.
Coun. Mike Shanks also wanted to see more discussion about the waiving of DCC charges on projects under $50,000, as it has been suggested the range should be increased to somewhere between $150,000 and $200,000.
Mayor Bruce Milne said council should find some time for that conversation to take place before adoption of the DCC bylaw in September.
Coun. Alice Lutes noted discussion could also happen in a year’s time, when a review of the new bylaw takes place.
“Then we would have had some experience in that first year of the changes to know if it’s going to be necessary and what kind of a difference it would make and any other changes we saw through the first year’s run through,” Lutes said.
“So I’m OK with it reading the way it does now.”
Davis Bay float
The float that was attached to the pier in Davis Bay won’t be back this summer.
Director of engineering and operating services Nikii Hoglund said at the Aug. 10 meeting that staff had started preliminary investigations to fix the float, which was deemed unsafe shortly after it was installed last year.
“The money that is currently allocated for the Davis Bay float replacement will not cover the costs that will likely be incurred, so as a result we will not be doing it this year,” Hoglund said.
“We will put in a proper business case for next year and have all of that information before council.”
Airport
Councillors were told the district’s plan to extend the runway at the airport with an unpaved section called a “clearway” has been put on hold for the time being.
“The advent of not having a corporate officer has put this one on hold a bit,” Hoglund said. “Nobody actually had it on their desk.”
She said there are also other issues that will need resolving at the airport before any expansion can take place.
“There are some other items in play with regard to leases that need to be sorted out, there’s a strategic plan that needs to be sorted out, there are many things at the airport that technically should preclude doing improvements such as the clearway,” Hoglund said.
Utility box wraps
The District of Sechelt will look at doing more utility box art wraps in 2017.
Councillors were asked on Aug. 10 if they would allow staff to apply for a BC Hydro grant to help fund the program, estimated to cost just over $11,000 for three or four wraps.
Councillors gave their permission during the committee meeting to apply for the funding, though the project itself will come back to 2017 budget discussions for approval.
