An emergency shelter proposed for property in the 800 block of Cliffe Avenue has sparked controversy among several area businesses that do not want a 24/7 operation nearby.
It has also sparked the ire of Coun. Ken Grant of Comox, who does not like the manner in which the regional district purchased the trio of lots at 865, 877 and 889 Cliffe Ave. The cost was $470,000 plus HST.
“There was zero public input in this,” Grant said Wednesday at a Comox council meeting. “I was never informed of this purchase. I don’t think we should be doing this.”
The regional district committee of the whole supports the idea of paying off the debt next year. If the CVRD board approves a two-year, four-per-cent debt repayment structure, taxpayers will have paid $300,000 in principal and $18,266 in interest by the end of 2012. The remaining cost will be covered by annual reserve contributions until 2015.
“How are we supposed to put money into that?” Grant said.
Mayor Paul Ives and Coun. Patti Fletcher both said proper procedure was followed to purchase the property.
“The public’s money is well protected,” Ives said.
“We need to continue putting money into it,” Coun. Russ Arnott said.
Coun. Tom Grant — who said homelessness is an issue that is “close to my heart” — supports the idea of reserve contributions but questioned the sense of putting $70,000 a year into a separate fund.
He echoed Ken Grant’s sentiment about the closed-door manner in which the purchase was made.
“The community owns the homeless problem, not the regional district directors,” said Grant, who had chaired the district’s housing and homelessness standing committee before resigning from the position in December. “Let’s not solve homelessness by going in-camera.”
The matter of paying for the property will come back before the district board Feb. 22 as part of ongoing budget discussions.
• • •
A stretch of Comox Avenue from Port Augusta Street to the Comox Dental Centre will be closed from 6 a.m. June 17 to 7 p.m. June 19 to accommodate the annual Comox Cup Road Hockey Tournament.
Tourney organizers had hoped for a road closure from June 16 to 20. The Shellfish Festival occurs the same weekend.
• • •
Council voted in favor of informing the CVRD that the Filberg Lodge and Park, the Pearl Ellis Gallery and the d’Esterre Seniors’ Centre are missing from a draft recreation/culture services report, as are parks such as Goose Spit and Mack Laing. The district will also be requested to explore the option of having the Chances gaming facility in Courtenay included in the report as one of the facilities from a revenue-sharing perspective.
• • •
Shelly Russwurm will serve as chief election officer to conduct the 2011 local election in November. Kiley Graham has been appointed deputy officer.
reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com