The City of Parksville wants to address what it calls “erroneous information” being circulated via social media about how the city enters into lease agreements with non-profit groups.
In a release, city officials indicated it is not required to issue a request for proposals to enter into agreements with registered non-profit societies. The city regularly enters into agreements and leases with such non-profit entities as the Bard to Broadway Theatre Society, Parksville Curling Club, Parksville Lawn Bowling Club, Oceanside Minor Baseball and previously with the Parksville Community Centre Society.
At this time, stated the release, the city has not yet entered into a lease with the Boys and Girls Club of Central Vancouver Island (BGCCVI) and prior to a lease, the city will provide public notice in accordance with the community charter. Information recently released from a closed council meeting advised that a letter of intent was signed with the BGCCVI to jointly prepare an application for grant funding.
READ MORE: Parksville city council approves 2021 workplan
If successful, the grant would facilitate renovation of the community centre to support a daycare use. As stated in the city’s release, the city envisions community uses and a host of programming to occur at the centre in future. The city is the grant applicant and any future decisions will be made after the results of the grant application are known.
Depending on the outcome of grant funding and the conditions of that funding, the city has stated it intends to work with the BGCCVI to operate a daycare program from the centre. The release said terms of use for the Parksville Community Centre have not been finalized; however, as previously advised, the city will at minimum, retain multi-use space in the centre for such use as the Oceanside Emergency Support Services office, for general election voting, all candidate meetings, reception centres for emergencies and the city may specify additional uses when the lease is prepared.
The release said when the city is disposing of an interest in land to any party, including a non-profit society, the legislation (Section 26 of the community charter), requires notice before the disposition occurs. Notice must also be in accordance with the legislation (Section 94). In the case of land use amendments, the notice is provided so the public has an opportunity to comment.
“In the case of disposition, the notice is simply to advise the public that the disposition is happening, and that council does not have to provide an opportunity to allow the public to provide input on the disposition.”
— NEWS Staff, submitted