City council signed off on a $3.37 million contract with Western Industrial Contractors to build a traffic circle intersection at Boundary Road and Highway 16 East.
The project is part of the $28 million Boundary Road project. Western Industrial Contractors already has an $18.7 million construction contract for the 6.8 kilometre roadway which will connect Highway 16 to Boeing and Gunn roads.
"The contract requires them to complete the work by Dec. 31, this year. That is inline with Boundary Road itself," city supply and fleet services manager Scott Bone said. "When we started with this project, we had some detailed engineering cost estimates done. This part is within those cost estimates."
Boundary Road will serve as a dangerous good route for trucks travelling between Highway 16 East and Highway 97 South. It will also service a proposed light industrial park adjacent to the airport.
YMCA funding supported
City council supported a $30,000 funding request by the Prince George YMCA to the Northern Development Initiative Trust community halls and recreation facilities program.
The funding will be used to help fund renovations and upgrades to the Family YMCA building on Massey Drive.
Coun. Garth Frizzell said he has some concerns about supporting a request by a private, membership-based organization.
"In light of the fact there is no other applications for [the funding], it does make sense," Frizzell said.
Downtown tax exemption
City council approved a bylaw to create a 10-year tax exemption for downtown developments.
Development Initiative Trust has partnered with the city to give developers the option of receiving the tax exemption in the form of an upfront payment, which would then be paid back to Northern Development over the 10 years.
Previously new developments downtown were exempt from property taxes on the improvements for five years, with possible extensions of five years.
The proposal plan breaks the downtown into two areas.
Under the proposed exemptions in Area A, multifamily residential and commercial developments worth $50,000 or more would be exempt from property taxes on the development for 10 years. Projects valued over $500,000 would also receive a tax exemption on 100 per cent of the land value for residential developments and 50 per cent of the land value for commercial developments.
Exterior building improvements valued at $20,000 and more would be 100 per cent exempt from property taxes on the improvement for 10 years.
In Area B, only residential developments would be eligible for tax exemptions and only on the development itself, not on the value of the land.
LEED certified projects valued at $500,000 or more in both areas would receive a 100 per cent tax exemption on the development.
Sethi honoured
Baljit Sethi was given a standing ovation in city council chambers to recognize her work promoting multiculturalism.
Sethi, who has been the head of the Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society for the last four decades, recently received the Paul Yuzky Award for lifetime achievement in multiculturalism.
