Thursday, January 31, 2019

City Council approves funding for SPCA, along with leases for Curling Club, Racquet Centre

SPCA building on
the city's east side

(Google Map phoito)
The Prince Rupert SPCA can move forward over the next three years with some assured funding from the City of Prince Rupert, that after City Council approved a renewal of the three year Service Agreement that the city has with the local branch of the provincial organization.

The terms of the new agreement were outlined at Monday's City Council session by Corinne Bomben, the City's Financial Officer who was filling in for the Corporate Administrator at the session.

Ms. Bomben noted that the SPCA has received funding from the city in the past for use in the operations of the Shelter at Frederick Street and Highway 16.  

With the contract set to expire, there was a need for council to renew the current arrangement of 25,000 dollars in funding, plus costs tied to the Consumer Price Index which would average at an additional $350 over the course of the next three years.

As part of the discussion on the SPCA funding, Councillor Barry Cunningham suggested that the city explore turning over the Animal control functions currently done by the city's Bylaw officer to the SPCA in order to allow for the Bylaw officer to pursue other job requirements.

In addition to the funding for the SPCA, City Council also approved to lease arrangements for recreation facilities in the community. With council to once again charge one dollar per year to the operators of the Curling Club and the Racquet Centre for use of the two facilities.



Racquet Centre
(Google Map Photo)
Prince Rupert Curling Club
(Google Map Photo)










The Racquet Centre lease is for a term of three years, while the Curling Club lease will be five years in duration.

The City also has made past annual financial contributions through the Community Enhancement Grant program to assist the Racquet Centre.  There will also be advertising and legal fees associated to the the three items of the night.

In a follow up question, Councillor Adey inquired as to the nature of the city's leasing arrangements, asking if the city has other buildings that it leases to other organizations under different terns.

He was advised that there were other commercial enterprises that the city has arrangements with, though Ms. Bomben did not provide any further details as to what those arrangements were.

She did note that along the lines of the Racquet Centre/Curling Club model, the Lester Centre falls under the same leasing arrangement.

"There's not too many, commercial enterprises we do, however there is one in particular that we do for a dollar a year and that's the Lester Centre, the Prince Rupert Performing Arts Society they lease the Lester Centre from us  for a dollar a year as well" 

Ms. Bomben's review of the three financial items can be found from the City's Video Archive starting at the forty minute mark.




The Details for each arrangement can be explored further from the City's Agenda Package from Monday as follows:

SPCA Agreement -- Page 12
Racquet Centre Lease -- Page 22
Curling Club Lease --  Page 41

For more notes related to Monday's City Council session see our Council Timeline feature here, as well as from our Council Archive page for the January 28th session.

For further notes on City Council Discussions see our Council Discussion archive.


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