Courtenay council referred several requests for financial assistance to staff last week:
• Habitat for Humanity requested concessions of about $250,000 on a proposed $1.7 million development at 1330 Lake Trail Rd.;
• The Comox Valley Recovery Centre asked that a $1,500 variance fee be waived to help build a four-unit modular;
• The LUSH Valley Food Action Society requested funds to purchase a community cooler ($5,000) and to hire a community garden co-ordinator ($6,000);
• The Alberni Project Society asked for $3,000 to help pay for increased operating costs and for rentals of exhibits such as Anne Frank: A History for Today.
Coun. Doug Hillian is concerned about the (HMCS Alberni Museum and Memorial) museum’s ongoing reliance on the City, which last year contributed $2,000 to its operation at Comox Centre Mall. As for the request from LUSH, Hillian would support the cooler but not the co-ordinator. He suggests the City needs a plan to deal with the allocation of discretionary funds.
“There needs to be some guidelines from a staff perspective,” CAO David Allen said. “There’s a lot of competition for money.”
Mayor Jangula said the issue can be a “slippery slope” when it comes to deciding who gets money and who doesn’t.
Av wants a patio
The Avalanche Bar & Grill has applied for a structural change to allow for a sidewalk patio at its Eighth Street establishment.
The City will post notice on its website requesting input on the proposed change, which council will consider at its July 4 meeting.
If approved, the patio will reduce one on-street parking space in front of the building.