Work is well underway on the District of Squamish's (DOS) housing action plan, says the municipality's acting manager of planning and building.
In 2011, the district awarded the Squamish Housing Options Group (SHOG) $20,000 to complete a Housing Action Plan. Such a document is needed to secure funding and partnerships for future housing projects, a reality conveyed to the group by the Canada Mortgage and Housing, the B.C. Non-Profit Housing Association and developers.
The plan will serve as a guiding policy document for the district, district planner Chris Bishop told council on Tuesday (May 15).
"Really the focus of the initiative is to ensure there are sufficient housing options in Squamish to meet the community's needs," Bishop said.
Because of an oversight on the part of staff, the $20,000 allotted to the project in 2011 was not carried forward in the 2012 budget. However, staff members said they are confident funding to complete the task can be found to allow the project to meet its September completion deadline.
The next steps include compiling the interview results, developing an online survey targeting secondary suite owners and draft the first phase of the report focused on housing needs and demands.
Safe water eyed
The DOS is looking to protect its main water supply.
As a condition of its permit to operate a water supply system, the district is mandated to have a well protection plan for each groundwater source in place before the end of this year. In March, the engineering department issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for developing such an outline for the Powerhouse Springs well field - the district's main water source.
"This is something we need to do," district engineering manager Brian Barnett told council.
Although not the lowest of the five bids, district staff recommended council hand the contract to Piteau Associates. The company's application, which includes a $107,045 price tag, has "positive past experience working with the water supply system," the district report to council stated. The cheapest bid, $90,000, was put forward by Thurber Engineering.
The 2012 municipal budget set aside $200,000 for the project.
