Council Meets to Choose Project for Funding Application
Prince George, B.C.- Council for the City of Prince George meets this afternoon to make a final decision on the project it will submit for a grant from the New Build Canada Fund -Small Communities Fund.
Staff support submitting an application for the remediation of the Fraser River Bench Lands where the banks of the Fraser River are sloughing off into the river because of erosion. Significant work on this project has already been undertaken, including design and archaeological assessment. According to staff, the project is ready to move forward as soon as additional funding has been secured. The total estimated cost of this project is just over $1.4 million with $860 thousand dollars yet to be found to pay for this project.
But residents of the Hart highlands are pressing to have a proposed sewer installation project in their neighbourhood the project that is submitted for funding. The only problem is, that project has not yet been given the green light by the residents, as it requires approval from 50% of wp-admin/post-new.phpthe property owners, representing 50% of the total assessed value of the properties involved. The sewer installation (phase 2) would cost an estimated $2.9 million, and if each property owner is expected to pick up an equal share of that cost, it means $29 thousand each. That is nearly twice the amount it cost homeowners who had the sewer line installed last summer under the first phase of the project.
At a meeting with area residents last week, City Staff explained the cost savings last summer were the result of a number of factors including; favourable weather conditions, free gravel from a construction project and favourable elevations to allow for a natural downflow.
The residents are angry, saying they had been promised sewer installation at the time the area amalgamated with the City in the mid seventies.
The deadline to submit an application is February 18th.
Comments
The City Administration want to do the Fraser River Bench Land project, hence finding all the excuses they can to make the Hart Highlands project look more expensive.
If they wanted to do the Hart Highlands Project, then they would give you all sorts of reasons why they shouldn’t do the Bench Land Project.
Administration always puts forward the information that substantiates the direction they want to go, and to hell with common sense, or actual need.
If there was no money available under the New Build Canada Fund, they would not be looking at the Bench Lands. What the City basically does, is
1. Look for all available grant money.
2. Design a project that will meet the criteria to get the grant.
3. Ignore any other projects, other than the one they want.
4. Build the project.
5. Repeat steps 1-4.
Common sense tells you that the Bench Land project can wait a few years, so what’s the rush??? New Build Canada Funds, are available on a yearly basis, so they can do the Bench sometime in the future if it is really necessary.
I believe the Bench Land project is getting done for the developer who wants to put a subdivision in the area.
guesswhat, I believe you are right.
Yes, once again Palopu hurls out accusations with no proof to back up his bs. And by proof, I don’t mean a skewed Palopu list of wrongs the city has done in the past. You fail to mention (because you probably don’t know) that the city has to APPLY for these grants. To be successful, the project must meet the criteria set out by those controlling the grant. If not approved, NO Grant!. In this case, those bad crooked city folk believe the Bench Land project has a better chance of being approved than the Hart highland Sewer project. These are decisions that are made everyday with the information they have available. Sometimes they are right, sometimes wrong. But never popular with everyone.
But its easier to be a crow on a fence cawing at everything others do isn’t it Pal?
Palopu should be running for council with all of this vast knowledge and insight that is “spread” about these forums. Easier to cry conspiracy than do something about it I guess.
Council had already decided on the recommendation before this meeting – the first word out of the mayor’s mouth was the recommendation of Jan. 19 – it was a lip service meeting for the Hart Highlands phase 2 residents .. in other words council can say we did meet to discuss the proposal ..there was not one councillor that voted against the recommendation.
Which was the right and responsible decision. Being they are there to represent the entire city and not just a couple streets in the Hart. Not to mention the Sewer project hasn’t even been approved voted in or out yet.
Are you sure Palopa is a guy? I always assumed it was a woman. Funny how we can all hide behind our online identities…
Comments for this article are closed.