By Cheryl Jahn

Capital projects up for discussion

Feb 26, 2019 | 4:00 AM

PRINCE GEORGE – Mayor and Council have passed the first two readings of a bylaw to borrow $32 million dollars over 20 years to pay for capital projects approved in the budget. Those projects include: equipment financing ($2.9 million), expansion of the Mausoleum ($1.4 million), civic facility roof repairs ($4.6 million), Aquatic Centre upgrades ($10 million), Masich Place upgrades ($2.7 million), Ron Brent Park redevelopment ($1.6 million), 14th Avenue upgrades ($1.2 million), Domano and St. Lawrence signals ($500,000), Highway 16 West Frontage work ($800,000), Goose Country Road culvert replacement ($1.1 million), street lighting replacement ($5 million).

However, not everyone gave the nod to all the projects. Councillor Brian Skakun opposed six of the 11 projects (Masich Place upgrades, Ron Brent Park replacement, 14th Avenue upgrades, Highway 16 frontage work, Goose Country Road culvert replacement and the street lighting replacement), saying the cost would be too much for the taxpayers. The borrowing could have a 2.3% future impact on taxes.

“Do we really have to spend $5 million on street lighting?” he asked.

But the rest of Council approved moving forward, with the likes of Councillors Frank Everitt, Garth Frizzell and Murry Krause suggested that putting them off would only add to the costs.

“We’ve been hearing a lot about a big storm coming,” said Frizzell.

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The next step is to move the projects to an Alternate Approval Process, which will require 10 per cent, or 5,546 residents, oppose all, one or none of the projects. The deadline to submit your opposition to the project is May 30th and, if 10 per cent of the electoral response forms are not returned, Council could give the final oaky to the borrow in June.