An upgrade to the Vernon airport is the city's top priority for a federal grant. Mayor Rob Sawatzky says council has agreed to seek $400,000 from the Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund to resurface the facility's runway. "It's starting to crack, and we need to do the resurfacing no later than three years or we'll run into much bigger costs." If the city gets the grant, it will provide another $200,000 for the resurfacing. The city will also apply for $150,000 to replace playground equipment at Mission Hill and Kiwanis parks (second priority for grant), and $50,000 for upgrading the Vernon Community Arts Centre (third). Council has shot down a proposal to provide free WiFi Internet in the downtown core. If approved, the city would have applied for a $200,000 grant, along with providing $100,000 of city funds. However, Mayor Sawatzky says the majority of council was opposed. "The reasons were mainly that it was interfering with private businesses providing the same service." Sawatzky was in favour of the idea, saying many other communities provide free WiFi. He tells Kiss FM, "WiFi in the downtown core probably fits with the marketing image of ourselves, tourist-friendly, business-friendly, that sort of thing." Wayne Ikesaka, the city's information services manager says the project would have provided free wireless service for about 1 km of the downtown, from east to west along 30th Avenue, and up to 100 meters north to south of 30th Avenue. "The wireless foot print would provide coverage for an estimated 100,000 meters square, and would provide public WiFi service for about 340 businesses," he says.
 |
| Original Recommendation from Staff |
Details of Grant applications brought forward by staff for Council Consideration can be found in the Agenda Package
of July 31. These Grant applications were a 50-50 match. i.e the WiFi Project was $200,000 of which $100,000 would be paid for by the taxpayers.
No comments:
Post a Comment