Nanaimo is restarting its approval process to borrow up to $48.5 million to upgrade its public-works facilities, after a previous effort was deemed invalid due to an error in the public notification process.
The alternative approval process launches Jan. 18 and runs for 34 days.
More than 3,000 people had registered their opposition to the borrowing plan during the process last fall — less than half the number required for it to fail — but some residents felt not enough information had been provided about the proposal.
An alternative approval process will fail if at least 10 per cent of eligible electors submit forms opposing the plan — in this case, it would have required 7,889 electors to submit forms in opposition.
Response forms can be picked up at city hall or printed from the city’s website as of Jan. 18. They must be dropped off or mailed to city hall by 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 20. Forms sent via email or fax won’t be accepted, the city said.
Nanaimo is planning a four-phase modernization program for the city’s public works and parks facilities, which it says are inadequate and out of date.
The first stage would see the fleet maintenance facility upgraded at Labieux Road and a truck-wash added, along with other onsite services. New storm-management infrastructure would be installed at Bowen Road and firefighting training apparatus would be retrofitted as well.
The city is holding information sessions and tours of its public works yard to explain the project, public works activities and the voting process.
A council workshop and information session is set for Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. in the Vancouver Island Conference Centre’s Shaw Auditorium, which Nanaimo residents can watch remotely or attend in person to see presentations about the project and ask questions.
On Jan. 20 and Jan. 31, the city is offering 45-minute guided tours of Nanaimo’s public works yard from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Registration is required for the space-limited free tour at recreation.nanaimo.ca or by calling 250-756-5200 (use the key words “public works” when searching).
Pop-up information sessions will be held at the city’s booth in Country Club Mall on Jan. 25 and Feb. 7, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., where staff will be available to discuss the project.
To learn about how an alternative approval process works and voting eligibility, visit nanaimo.ca/goto/AAP.
For more information on the Nanaimo Operations Centre alternative approval process visit the city website at nanaimo.ca/goto/NOC-AAP and for more information on the project visit nanaimo.ca/goto/NOC.
>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]
