Local anti-HST organizer Eric Allen is looking to rally public opposition to city hall borrowing $3.56 million to construct a dike along River Road.
On Feb. 20 city council gave the go-ahead for the city to proceed with the alternative approval process to get elector approval for the borrowing bylaw. Under the alternative approval process, residents will have six weeks to sign petitions against the bylaw. If 10 per cent or more of registered voters in the city sign the petition, then council may not authorize the borrowing bylaw without holding a referendum on the issue.
"I'd like to get 200 people to go out and get 25 to 30 signatures each," Allen said. "I'm asking people if they want to stop the city from spending money, they have to go to city hall and sign this petition."
The proposed 3.3 kilometre, $11.5 million dike would run the length of River Road from the Cameron Street Bridge to the CN Rail bridge, according to city staff reports.
On Jan. 24 the provincial and federal governments announced $5.4 million in funding for the project. A further $2.5 million is expected to come from the city's Land
Development Reserve fund.
City staff project the payments on the $3.56 million debt would total nearly $280,000 per year for 20 years, starting in 2014. The total interest cost to the city is
estimated at $2 million over 20 years.
"One of the reasons they don't have any money for roads is they are continually spending money on other projects," Allen said. "They have already put in a $7 million [flood protection] upgrade on River Road. Does it warrant almost $20 million in flood control?"
The upgrades to River Road and proposed dike only protect the industrial land south of River Road, he added. It does nothing to protect residents on the north side of the Nechako River who are also subject to flooding, he said.
"What's our liability for doing nothing in those other areas?" Allen said.
In 2007-08 an ice jam and flood on the Nechako River lasted 64 days, forced the evacuation of 24 homes and caused
millions of damages.
City legislative services manager Walter Babicz said the plan for the alternative approval process, which has legislated notification requirements, must go to city council for approval before the counter-petition process can begin.
Anyone interested in organizing
counter-petitions can contact Allen at
250-961-1192.
