A variety of topics will be broached at tonight's city council meeting.
Smart Meter protest
The Citizen for Safe Technology will request a moratorium on Smart Meter installations until studies have proven the safety of the meters to the provincial and federal governments. The group, led by Marina Jang, charges that not only are the meters an invasion of privacy, but that the level of radiation emitted from the new B.C. Hydro devices is toxic.
Contractor selection for RCMP facility
City council is set to approve the selection of Kelowna's Maple Reinders Inc. to build the new Prince George RCMP Municipal Facility. As the lowest qualified bidder, the city will enter into a contract with Maple Reinders for a tendered amount of almost $22.7 million for the 64,000 square foot, two-storey building at the corner of Fourth and Victoria. The city received seven bids for the project. Maple Reinders has previously been awarded a contract to build a RCMP facility in Penticton.
Cougars and city to take in parking cash
City staff are recommending council enter implement a new pay parking concept for Prince George Cougar's home games, which would see the creation of 73 paid parking spaces at the CN Centre. The revenue from these spaces would be split between the team and the city, with the Cougars receiving the lion's share of 70%. In a regular season, this could net the hockey team up to $15,900 and would have no impact on customers who prefer free parking. City will also gather community input on enhanced alcohol sales at the CN Centre
and report back to council at a later date.
Kinsmen Club seeks roof funding
The Kinsmen Club of Prince George will appear before council to make their case for a repayable loan of $60,000 - two-thirds of the cost of replacing the roof at the Kinsmen Community Complex. According the club, the building is 27 years old and in a state of disrepair. The group also has a grant application in to Northern Development for a $30,000 grant fromt he City of Prince George nominal allocation of the Prince George Regional Development Account for the remaining portion of the $100,000 project.
Performing arts society to receive fundraising support
Despite not being a registered charity, Prince George Regional Performing Arts Centre Society will recieve Prince George Community Foundation assistance for its fundraising campaign. Typically, federal regulations only allow the foundation to allocate grants to nationally registered charities, but Revenue Canada lets municipalities assist with flow through funding if they support the project. The city has supported the society's mandate to create a downtown performing arts centre since 2007. By linking with the Community Foundation, the society can take advantage of its ability to issue tax receipts and will facilitate and increase the solicitation of potential donors.
