PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to section 86 of the Community Charter, Prince George City Council is proposing to seek approval of the electors of the City of Prince George by Alternative Approval Process. The question before the electors is whether they are opposed to Prince George City Council adopting the proposed “Prince George Aquatic Centre Mechanical and Building Update Phases 1a, 1b, 2, 3, and 4 Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 9468, 2024” at the regular Council meeting scheduled for Monday, August 19, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1100 Patricia Boulevard, Prince George, BC, without first obtaining assent of the electors by a referendum vote.
- “Prince George Aquatic Centre Mechanical and Building Update Phases 1a, 1b, 2, 3, and 4 Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 9468, 2024”
The additional capital work projects to the Prince George Aquatic Centre Mechanical and Building Update project were approved with the funding source designated as Municipal Finance Authority (MFA) debt funding. The estimated cost of the projects associated with this Bylaw is the sum of twenty-two million one hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($22,150,000).
The loan agreement with the Municipal Finance Authority (MFA) will be for a term no longer than twenty (20) years. The annual debt servicing costs for borrowing the full amounts is estimated to be one million eight hundred fifty-three thousand nine hundred and thirty-nine dollars ($1,853,939) and would result in 1.34% of future tax levy increases.
Prince George Aquatic Centre Mechanical and Building Envelope Upgrade Phases 1a, 1b, 2, 3 and 4 is a component renewal and upgrade project that will incorporate the additional phases to Project #3108 Prince George Aquatic Centre Mechanical & Building Envelope Upgrades to extend its useful service life and includes improving energy efficiency, lowering operating costs, bringing asset up to current code. The project will include the following works to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and increase the building life expectancy with increased insulation, triple glazed windows and durable metal cladding systems. Repairs to the structural steel/columns and dive tank sparger system. Replacement of main entry soffits, curtain wall and air handling units cooling coils. Addition of energy recovery on air handling units. Replacement of health/life safety items including deck, lobby and visitor area tile, handrails, plumbing fixtures, fire alarm system and sprinkler heads. Replacement of moveable bulkheads, change room tiles, overhead and underwater light fixtures and emergency system lighting, in addition to interior repainting, hydronic piping reconfiguration, increased access controls, accessibility improvements, and reconfigured reception desk.
The project is to address immediate and upcoming facility asset reinvestment; to condense the number of interruptions to facility users and events; meet current code requirements, improve energy efficiencies; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; extend the expected useful service life further; and consider life cycle operational cost savings.
A copy of proposed Bylaw No. 9468, 2024, a more detailed summary of the proposed project, and a copy of the proposed loan agreements with the Municipal Finance Authority are available for public inspection at City Hall during regular business days between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
For any questions, please contact the Legislative Services Department at (250) 561-7793 or cityclerk@princegeorge.ca
INSTRUCTIONS
If you are not opposed to the adoption of the above noted Bylaw, you need do nothing.
If you are opposed to the adoption of the above noted Bylaw without the Bylaw first receiving assent of the electors by a referendum vote, you may sign and submit an Elector Response Form indicating your opposition.
A person may not sign more than one Elector Response Form.
APPLICABLE AREA
The area to which the Alternative Approval Process applies is the entire area of the City of Prince George. The municipal Council may proceed with the adoption of Bylaw No. 9468, 2024 unless before the deadline of 5:00 p.m., Friday, August 9, 2024, at least 10% of electors submit a complete and signed Elector Response Form indicating that Council must obtain assent of the electors by a referendum vote before proceeding with the adoption of Bylaw No. 9468, 2024.
For the purpose of this Alternative Approval Process, Council has determined that there are 55,126 registered electors in the City of Prince George. The municipal Council may therefore proceed with the adoption of Bylaw No. 9468, 2024 unless at least 5,512 electors submit a completed copy of an Elector Response Form to the City of Prince George before the deadline of 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 9, 2024.
RESIDENTS AND NON-RESIDENT PROPERTY ELECTORS
In order to sign an Elector Response Form, a person must either be a resident elector or a non-resident property elector of the City of Prince George. For the purposes of the Alternative Approval Process, an elector is a person who meets the qualifications referred to in section 65 or section 66 of the Local Government Act if assent of the electors were sought, either as a resident elector or non-resident property elector.
To sign an Elector Response Form as a resident elector a person must:
- be a Canadian citizen;
- be at least 18 years of age;
- have lived in British Columbia for at least the last six (6) months before signing the Elector Response Form;
- live within the City of Prince George; and
- not be otherwise disqualified from voting by the Local Government Act or by other law.
To sign an Elector Response Form as a non-resident property elector a person must:
- be a Canadian citizen;
- be at least 18 years of age;
- have lived in British Columbia for at least the last six (6) months before signing the Elector Response Form;
- have been a registered owner of property within the City of Prince George for at least the last thirty (30) days; and
not be otherwise disqualified from voting by the Local Government Act or by other law.
ELECTOR RESPONSE FORM
An Elector Response Form must be in the form approved by the Council of the City of Prince George, or an accurate copy of the form such as a photocopy. Elector Response Forms are available on the 1st Floor or the 5th Floor of Prince George City Hall, 1100 Patricia Boulevard, Prince George, BC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., on Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays. Elector Response Forms are also available on the City’s website: www.princegeorge.ca/aap.
The deadline for submitting an Elector Response Form is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 9, 2024.
An Elector Response Form must be fully completed and hand-signed. All three (3) pages of the completed Elector Response Form must be submitted in order to be counted.
Elector Response Forms may be submitted by hand delivery, mail, facsimile (fax), or email as a PDF document attachment, as follows:
Address for delivery or mail:
Attention: Corporate Officer
City of Prince George
Legislative Services Division
5th Floor - 1100 Patricia Blvd.
Prince George, BC V2L 3V9
Facsimile (fax) number: (250) 561-0183
PDF submission via email: cityclerk@princegeorge.ca
If submitting the Elector Response Form to the City of Prince George by facsimile (fax) or by email as a PDF document attachment, please ensure that the transmission was completed.
This notice is published in accordance to section 86 and 94 of the Community Charter and City of Prince George Public Notice Bylaw No. 9329, 2022.
DATED this 5th day of July, 2024
Ethan Anderson, Corporate Officer/ Manager of Legislative Services
City of Prince George
ATTACHMENTS: