Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) officials want to borrow $3.3 million to build new offices, a project that would add an average $1.15 onto residents’ taxes, SLRD board chair Patricia Heintzman says.
The money would go toward a proposal to purchase six strata lots on the ground floor of the Elements building in downtown Pemberton. Three of the six strata lots are subject to ongoing commercial leases; the remaining three strata lots consist of unfinished space.
The SLRD has been dealing with overcrowded office spaces for many years, Heintzman told The Squamish Chief. The regional government’s current workspace is on the upper floor of a downtown Pemberton building owned by the Village of Pemberton and the SLRD.
“The options are very limited in Pemberton,” Heintzman said.
Previous solutions, which include the development of new offices, proved too costly, she noted. While regional officials say this proposal represents a financially responsible alternative, ultimately the electors will determine the reasonableness of the proposal, Heintzman said.
“It is important that suitable office space is secured in the short, medium and long term,” she said.
The timing of the proposal eliminated the opportunity for the question to be put to the public by referendum during the municipal elections on Nov. 15, Heintzman said. Holding a standalone referendum would be costly. As a result, the SLRD board decided to seek eligible voters input by the way of an alternative approval process.
In an alternative approval process, residents have 30 days to submit their opinion on the project. Once the process is closed, a local government can vote to move forward with the proposal unless more than 10 per cent of the electors sign response forms against the project.
The SLRD board chose to extend the process to two months because of the business surrounding the municipal election and upcoming holiday season, Heintzman said. The regional government is seeking permission from the inspector of municipalities to commence the alternative approval process. That green light is anticipated to come some time this month, Heintzman said, then a notice will be published in local newspapers and the elector response form will be posted to the SLRD website and in the papers.
“We want to ensure that all electors throughout the regional district have convenient access to all of the information necessary for them to make a fully informed decision about this proposal,” Heintzman said.
