NANAIMO CITY HALL BLOG

Archive for January, 2012|Monthly archive page

Hotel Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw: My Take

In CITY FINANCE, CITY GOVERNMENT, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT on January 28, 2012 at 4:33 pm

Gord Fuller: January 28, 2012

There can be no doubt that this tax exemption bylaw only came forward as a result of our Mayor and some others strong beliefs that the only way to up usage at the convention centre would be to entice someone to build a hotel on land we would be willing to give them behind said centre. Initially in bringing forward the bylaw there was somewhat of an outcry from the Hospitality Association and this latest inception is designed to placate the association and bring them on board with the tax exemption. 

At council’s meeting on January 23rd these points were approved to be added to the above bylaw:

To include renovations to existing hotels and motels that achieves any one or more of the following:

• adds services

• adds rooms

• improves the quality of the stay for the visiting public; Read the rest of this entry »

What’s to talk about?

In CITY FINANCE, CITY GOVERNMENT, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT on January 25, 2012 at 6:17 pm

Ron Bolin: Jan. 25, 2012

During Monday’s (Jan.23, 2012) Council meeting a significant discussion almost took place regarding the expenditure of up to $560,000 for Preliminary Engineering on the South Fork II Dam.  The discussion which almost took place began when Councillor Bestwick asked whether we have examined the alternatives to a very costly dam project which is predicated on a population increase to 100,000 in the next ten years and a total expenditure of some $70 million dollars to meet the resultant water needs. Almost before the issue could be raised, Councillor Brennan called a point of order indicating, Read the rest of this entry »

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Tonight’s Hotel Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw – Why You should Pay Attention

In CITY FINANCE, CITY GOVERNMENT, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, QUESTIONS TO COUNCIL, STAFF on January 23, 2012 at 2:17 pm

Ron Bolin: Jan.23, 2012

At its meeting this evening (Jan. 23,2012, 7pm in the Auditorium of the Conference Centre) Council will, among other matters:

“consider amending “REVITALIZATION TAX EXEMPTION BYLAW NO. 7143″ to include renovations to existing hotels and motels that achieves any one or more of the following:

  • adds services
  • adds rooms
  • improves the quality of the stay for the visiting public;”

A great number of questions arise from this this amendment and indeed from the original bylaw (which has not yet been passed).  Read the rest of this entry »

Who Pays the Piper?

In CITY FINANCE, CITY GOVERNMENT on January 21, 2012 at 12:04 am

Ron Bolin:  Jan. 21, 2012

The election that will see our current Council in office until November 2014 was held on November 19, 2011.  All candidates, especially those who were elected, have until March 15, 2012, to file the obligatory campaign finance documents which state the amount of money spent in a campaign and the sources from which that money was obtained.  To date, only four of the nine elected candidates have filed their papers.  See:

http://www.nanaimo.ca/EN/main/departments/Legislative-Services/4609/2011GeneralElection/CamFinDisclose.html

Read the rest of this entry »

Observations on Departmental Budget Presentations: FPCOW Jan. 16 & 17

In CITY FINANCE, CITY GOVERNMENT, FINANCE POLICY COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT on January 18, 2012 at 1:39 am

Ron Bolin: Jan. 18, 2012

Jan. 16

Item 1: The Port Theatre Society which manages the City owned Port Theatre on behalf of the City made a request for significant additional funding as they had their first, but substantial, deficit in their 2011 operations.  Like almost all of our nonprofit groups the Society has been affected by the economy and declining Provincial grants as well as increasing utility and other costs.  The Port Theatre was built in 1998 at a capital cost of about $10 million dollars, with $7 million coming from City taxpayers.  Operations and maintenance of the theatre have received annual grants since then and the Society has operated it within budget.  Read the rest of this entry »

Important Budget Presentations Today and Tomorrow

In CITY FINANCE, CITY GOVERNMENT, FINANCE POLICY COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT on January 16, 2012 at 12:33 am

Ron Bolin: Jan. 16, 2012

Calling all Retirees, unemployed persons, night Shift workers, and other citizens  who have their afternoons free:  Join our City Council for a budget presentation at the City Hall boardroom at 3pm today, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012.  This session of the Finance and Policy Committee of the whole (Council as a whole) will hear from the Port Theatre asking for additional funding and be given budget presentations by the Fire Department, the Police Services Department (the City Staff who serve the RCMP), and the Strategic Relationships Department.  Read the rest of this entry »

More on the Budget and Financial Plan

In CITY FINANCE, CITY GOVERNMENT, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT on January 13, 2012 at 12:54 am

Ron Bolin: Jan 16, 2012

It is worth following up on Brian Fillmore’s comment to my Dec. 14 post.  While Council did indeed eschew a full core review, they did, as a sop, order up a review of the City’s contracted services, i.e. those services performed by private agents on behalf of the City.  As an aside it was also to examine functions now performed by Staff that might be contracted out. This $75,000 dollar study was originally supposed to be done prior to the November election.  It has yet to be accepted; Read the rest of this entry »

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