SDBA grants
During the Sept. 16 regular council meeting, the Sechelt Downtown Business Association (SDBA) was granted $2,000 for its Oktoberfest event on Cowrie Street scheduled for Sept. 26, despite the District’s aim for the group to instead use its taxing authority to pay for events.
Mayor Bruce Milne said council would have a discussion in the future “in terms of the use of the grant-in-aid by the SDBA association because those of us who remember, when it was originally set up and given taxing authority, the purpose was that they would use that taxing authority for the projects they had in mind.”
He said the ability of the SDBA to tax within the business improvement area was considered sufficient in the past. “If it wasn’t sufficient, then we should be considering an adjustment to the tax to the business improvement [area] instead of taking it away from the grant-in-aid function,” Milne said.
“We’ve never had that discussion and neither did the chief financial officer have the discussion with the SDBA and now we’re a short few weeks away from the Oktoberfest that they are trying to plan for.”
Not wanting the Oktoberfest event to flounder, council voted unanimously to award $2,000 of grant-in-aid funding to the SDBA.
Milne said he expected staff to bring the issue forward to the next finance committee meeting for more conversation as the SDBA is seeking more funding for Christmas events in Sechelt.
SCCF grants
Council approved two grants from the Sunshine Coast Community Forest (SCCF) Legacy Fund during its Sept. 16 regular council meeting.
Council awarded $25,000 to an accessibility project at the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives and $51,000 to the Sunshine Coast Arts Council for internal work needed at the Arts Centre.
Mayor Milne brought the requests forward after council met with the SCCF board to discuss the grants.
“I thought once we had that discussion, best to get this back in front of us again because some non-profits and others are wondering about the grants. So I brought this right to council instead of waiting for another finance committee and then council, which would be at least five weeks,” Milne said.
While two grants were given, a much larger grant request was denied.
The Gibsons Public Market had requested a $100,000 grant for the marine education centre planned in Gibsons but the majority of council was against the request, with only councillors Noel Muller and Darnelda Siegers in favour, so it was defeated.
Coun. Darren Inkster then pitched a $20,000 grant for the project, but only he and Muller were in favour and it was also defeated.
Culture days
The public is invited to help influence a new District of Sechelt Arts, Culture and Heritage Plan at one of two events titled “Have your say, Sechelt!” scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26 and 27, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre in Sechelt.
Sechelt’s arts coordinator Siobhan Smith said she wants residents’ input on what they love about culture on the Coast in order to help shape the plan.
The two information gathering sessions are being held in conjunction with Culture Days, which celebrates the arts, culture and heritage and encourage awareness, participation and engagement in arts and culture activities.
Find out more about Culture Days, including what free events are going on in your community, at www.culturedays.ca.
Wastewater tour
The District of Sechelt has scheduled an open house for the Water Resource Centre, Sechelt’s new wastewater treatment plant, on Oct. 3 from 1 to 3 p.m.
The public is invited to visit the facility at 5678 Surf Circle for tours of the public areas and to learn more about the facility and its wastewater treatment processes.
