Skip to content

‘Not like winning a lottery’: Council to carefully consider Salmon Arm’s $6 million grant

Staff to prepare report and bylaw so Growing Communities Fund money can go in special reserve
32274446_web1_money-bills
With a $36 million annual budget, Salmon Arm council has a pleasant job – how to allocate the city’s $6 million extra dollars. (Black Press Media file photo)

City coffers are fuller than usual.

The $6 million grant promised to the City of Salmon Arm through the B.C. government’s Growing Communities Fund (GCF) has been received.

The provincial government’s March 16 letter to the city was included in correspondence at council’s March 27 meeting.

“As a one-time grant, the GCF will provide up to $1 billion through direct grants to local governments to support all B.C. communities, with a focus on those communities that need to increase the pace and scale of housing supply. The principal objective of the GCF is to increase the local housing supply with investments in community infrastructure and amenities. Municipalities are encouraged to work closely with adjacent local First Nations, in recognition of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, as this collaboration strengthens our communities and regions,” the letter stated.

“The funding provided through the GCF should be limited to one-off costs needed to build required infrastructure and amenities rather than funding ongoing or operational activities. These funds are to be incremental to currently planned investments and should accelerate the delivery of capital projects.”

The list of eligible costs has 16 items, which include: public water supply components; local portion of affordable/attainable housing developments; childcare facilities; capital projects that service neighbouring First Nations communities; wastewater treatment facilities, storm water management; solid waste management; improvements that facilitate transit service; recreation-related amenities; road improvements; sidewalks, curbs and lighting; active transportation amenities; natural hazard mitigation; public safety equipment and facilities; park upgrades; and costs of feasibility studies for capital costs listed.

Read more: Getting people out of their vehicles key part of Salmon Arm’s 2023 budget

Council was told by Chelsea Van de Cappelle, the city’s chief financial officer, that staff will provide a report and a bylaw for council’s review. She said the funds must be placed in a statutory reserve which is established by bylaw.

At that time council will look over staff’s report and recommendations, and then consider next steps.

“So it’s not like winning a lottery. And we have to be careful how we allocate, when we allocate, that sort of thing,” said Coun. Louise Wallace Richmond.

Coun. Tim Lavery said he expects it will be a big conversation with a range of perspectives. He emphasized the importance of taking time after receiving and discussing staff’s report, to ponder options and then come back to it.

Mayor Alan Harrison agreed.

Staff will include the timelines for spending the money in its report.

The letter explained that the grant for each local government was based on a formula: a flat funding amount of $500,000; an “adjusted population” amount to ensure smaller municipalities get a higher per capita share of funding despite larger ones receiving more funding in absolute dollars; and a “population growth” amount, which is $1,000 per capita population growth between 2016 and 2021.

Read more: Current site of Salmon Arm’s sewage treatment plant chosen for expansion

Read more: 2019 - Salmon Arm pool/rec centre design puts price at more than $45 million



martha.wickett@saobserver.net
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our daily newsletter.


Martha Wickett

About the Author: Martha Wickett

came to Salmon Arm in May of 2004 to work at the Observer. I was looking for a change from the hustle and bustle of the Lower Mainland, where I had spent more than a decade working in community newspapers.
Read more