The District of Sechelt is seeking two senior government grants that would cover the cost of major capital projects.
Council approved filing the applications at its Jan. 16 meeting.
The biggest of the potential grants could bring in just over $5 million from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program for rural and northern communities.
This grant would be used to help the district pay for extending the sewer system to infill areas in West Porpoise Bay and West Sechelt identified for service in a 2005 plan.
The project would also include replacing older infrastructure, including two lift stations described in a report from Sanath Bandara, manager of engineering services, as “failing.”
The program, announced last year, offers 90 per cent of the cost of projects in communities with populations under 15,000.
Sechelt’s share would work out to $560,000 to be covered through sewer reserves and development cost charges.
“This opportunity presents Sechelt with the ability to expand the sanitary sewer service area to the majority of homes identified in the Sewer Functional Plan, 2005,” Bandara’s report said.
“This is a great opportunity for a small community like Sechelt to grow its services without incurring long-term debt. Expanding sewer services will protect the environment, including the local creeks, Salish Sea and the Georgia Strait from aging and failing septic system runoff, and direct these flows towards an efficient tertiary treatment plant.”
The other project is a permanent stage for Hackett Park, and the potential grant would also come from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
A staff report presented at the Jan. 16 council meeting put the estimated cost at $253,000 based on quotes already received for a gazebo that was not built and informal discussions with local contractors.
The district would need to contribute at least $67,500.
Siobahn Smith, the district’s art coordinator, told council Hackett Park is the best location for a permanent stage in the downtown core.
“It is typically the place where most of our festivals and events currently take place, compared to other municipal parks that we have,” Smith said. “It was clearly identified within the new parks master plan that that is where the community would like to see us continue to invest in order to encourage further community events and festivals to happen in that park.”
“It’s really a central hub,” noted parks manager Perry Schmidt, who added that the presence of washrooms and the Rotary Club concession add to Hackett Park’s suitability as a location.
Coun. Matt McLean was the only one to express doubts about the project, including concerns the stage might end up being under-used, and voted against authorizing staff to apply for the grant. “I don’t think [the proposal] is quite ready. I want to see us get a plan for Hackett Park and see how this fits into the larger system… I want to make sure we do our full due diligence.”
The Hackett Park stage idea also came in for some criticism from residents who took part in an e-Town Hall on the budget the following night.
The stage is among a dozen capital projects director of finance Doug Stewart is seeking early approval for. The requests were scheduled to go before council’s committee of the whole Jan. 23.
The others include the Trail Avenue realignment, roof repairs at the Justice Building, the purchase of nine new wildlife-resistant garbage bins and acquiring a new dump truck with plough and salter attachments.
The finance department is also hoping for early council approval on setting aside $52,000 for Community Investment Program grants, and input on deciding what percentage of that money should be allocated to arts, culture and recreation projects, social and environmental projects and community development initiatives.
