The Comox Valley Regional District board of directors has gained approval via elector response to proceed with the adoption of a bylaw to borrow funds for capital improvements to the Comox Valley curling centre.
An alternative approval process, which closed on June 13, received public approval to borrow $1.9 million for the upgrades. The CVRD can proceed with the adoption of the bylaw to borrow the funds as less than 10 per cent of the total number of electors in the CVRD (excluding Denman and Hornby Islands) signed and submitted elector response forms opposing the CVRD board’s adoption of the bylaw.
“There are 47,372 electors in the service area, and the number of responses that opposed the bylaw is 423, which is less than the required 10 per cent, and therefore elector approval was obtained,” said James Warren, corporate legislative officer. “We will be providing a follow up staff report to the June 24 board meeting at which time the board can then consider adopting the bylaw to borrow the money.”
The curling centre facility is over 50 years old and main components of the refrigeration plant are well beyond their life expectancy and are in need of replacement. Energy efficient building and mechanical upgrades will add an estimated 30 years of life to the CVRD facility and ensure that a multipurpose year round facility, with curling as its main focus, is available to the residents of the Comox Valley.
Borrowed funds will be paid back over 20 years through tax requisition which is estimated to be $0.0138 per $1,000. For a property assessed at $300,000 the cost would be $4.14 per year per household. This amount would be in addition to the $103.32 that the same property currently pays annually for the Comox Valley recreation complexes service.
Later this summer an RFP process will begin for consulting services, followed by a project tender process in late fall. The project contract will be awarded in early 2015 with the plan to begin the upgrades following the close of the 2015 curling season in spring, with completion in time for the start of the season in the fall of 2015.