The first portion of the District of Sechelt’s safe restart funding will be spent on revenue shortfalls for venues and technology upgrades for a total of $81,600.
Staff said $47,500 would be spent on technology upgrades including laptop replacements, IT accessories, headsets, web cameras and other video conferencing equipment. The remainder will cover the COVID-19-related drop in rental revenue from community facilities the Rockwood, Seaside Centre and Mission Point House in Davis Bay.
Council approved spending the money at a Dec. 15 regular council meeting, while also mulling other ideas, including affordable housing, for the rest.
The district received $2,563,000 through a federal-provincial safe restart agreement due to COVID-19.
Included in the staff report was a list of about 20 other items under consideration for the rest of the money, which ranged from improving the driveway at Mission Point House to contract services for events to covered gazebos and more IT upgrades.
Coun. Brenda Rowe said she’d be interested in looking at options for purchasing land for affordable housing, since one of the program’s aims is to provide services for vulnerable persons.
“I would like to start a conversation around us looking at how we’re able to acquire some land or start a land trust,” Rowe said. “The opportunities are out there for us if we had some land available to us, so I think we need to seriously look at how we can make that happen.”
Director of financial service David Douglas said the funds should be used primarily for operational projects and some limited capital projects, such as IT upgrades. “It hasn’t really opened the door for that kind of a purchase.”
Rowe said she’d continue asking about it.
Coun. Matt McLean said he supported Rowe’s idea. “We cover our revenue shortfalls then we need to look at how we take care of our citizens,” he said. “It’s quite easy to argue that homeless, underhoused peopled are some of the largest people impacted by COVID.”
Coun. Janice Kuester supported the initial spending, but asked for more rationale for some of the other ideas, such as the Mission Point House parking and driveway improvements. “How is that related to COVID relief?” she said, adding her support to Rowe’s idea and other options to assist vulnerable people and those dealing with homelessness.
Communications manager Julie Rogers said Mission Point House isn’t used as much because people have to park across the highway and people with mobility issues have difficulty accessing it.
Coun. Alton Toth supported the initial spending, and threw in a few more suggestions, including contracting more bylaw officers for a year or two for health order enforcement and business checks.
He also asked about using the money for consultants to bring projects “back into focus and get them out the door,” including the Official Community Plan update, the liquid waste management plant and other items. Another service for vulnerable people could be retrofit grant programs for low-income residents, he said.
Douglas noted down the items but said the money can’t be spent on for-profit organizations or groups.
Sechet Mayor Darnelda Siegers noted the spending criteria is very broad and it’s still unclear whether the proposed items on the list are even eligible.
Councillors unanimously approved the initial spending.
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