FILE PHOTO
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
February 10, 2017 - 10:30 AM
KAMLOOPS - Property taxes in Kamloops could rise around four per cent if everything in the city's supplemental budget goes through.
Upgrades to the Sandman Arena lead the way this year, as more than $1.5 million has been requested for five projects to upgrade the city’s main arena and events centre, including $300,000 for lighting which would allow for high definition broadcasts, $460,000 on bleacher renovations and almost $550,000 for new boards. The three projects are stipulations from the Western Hockey League and need to be done for the 2019 hockey season.
An additional $1 million is being requested for renovations to the police buildings, including $425,000 in renovations on the recently opened North Shore policing office. At a council budget meeting Tuesday, Feb. 7, councillors debated the renovations to the North Shore office, which opened in May last year, with some concern over renovations so soon after its opening.
“I get that we have to do the regulatory things,” Coun. Tina Lange said. “But I look at the list on the building maintenance and quite frankly a lot of them are kinda ‘nice to have.’”
Most of the more than 20 requests from city administration were for maintenance type projects, including stair renovations at city hall and the Memorial arena, bus stop improvements and traffic signal upgrades.
Five community requests are also before council, with the most notable being $250,000 for a new skate park in Rayleigh. Also to be decided on is a porta-potty pilot project to determine if 24 hour washrooms may be feasible downtown.
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News from © iNFOnews, 2017