The city will ask the province for permission to write off some unpaid property taxes after a mistake left a community group with an outstanding bill.
The Fraser Fort George Museum Society was accidentally left out of the city bylaw granting 2014 permissive tax exemptions to non-profit organizations, places of worship, private schools and municipal tenants.
"The [society] met the permissive tax exemption requirements and was intended to be exempt," said a report from corporate services director Kathleen Soltis.
The Local Government Act doesn't allow city council or staff to write off property taxes without getting permission from the ministry of community, sport and cultural development.
Writing off the taxes and interest costs the city about $54,580. If the city provided a grant to the society instead, it would cost more than $84,000 because there's more than $29,500 in taxes collected on behalf of other agencies that would have be to paid out.
Public art
Money for public art at Duchess Park would be better suited to the downtown area, according to city staff.
There is roughly $39,850 set aside for public art in the park, but a 2011 application for matching federal funds wasn't successful.
"Duchess Park continues to be a good location for public art," said the staff report. "However, without the potential for matching funds and with the coming of the 100th anniversary and 2015 Canada Winter Games, the downtown is seen as higher priority and a higher profile location."
The city's public art advisory group has met with local artists to develop a new program that would display local and regional work using a gallery concept that would get new art installed after a one to two-year time frame.
Park powder room
It's not exactly art, but there could be a new addition to Duchess Park coming.
Tonight, council will vote on whether to change this year's capital spending program to include $150,000 to install public washrooms at Duchess Park.
The report from operations staff follows up on a December request from council for information on the project, about which staff say they receive lots of questions.
"Being a community park rather than a neighbourhood park, this park attracts users from all areas of the city," the report said. "It is not therefore easy for children (or adults) to run home to use facilities as they are able to do at their neighbourhood parks."
The money for the purchase and installation of a prefabricated concrete washroom and landscaping would come from the city's capital expenditure reserve fund.
The possibility of using school washrooms for public use instead was not encouraged after consultation with School District 57.
