The Dashwood Fire Department is planning to build a new fire hall.
The plan is to borrow the money to pay for the construction costs but would require consent from residents, who will end up paying for the loan over a period of 25 years.
To gauge the support of the residents, the Regional District of Nanaimo board approved an alternative approval process to be held before they can pass a loan authorization bylaw for the new fire hall. The price tag of the project has risen to $6,462,662 from $4,150,000.
The board has extended the deadline for residents to submit electoral response forms to June 27. Residents participating in the alternative approval process will include the Dashwood fire services region of Area H (Bowser, Horne Lake, Deep Bay, Qualicum Bay) and also some parts of Electoral Area F (Coombs, Hilliers, Errington, Whiskey Creek, Meadowood), and Area G (Englishman River, San Pareil, French Creek, Little Qualicum, Dashwood). The forms will be made available online at https://www.rdn.bc.ca/DashwoodFireHallAAP,
READ MORE: RDN: Price tag of proposed new Dashwood fire hall hits $6.4 million
Residents are asked to submit the forms by 4 p.m. on June 27. They can submit them in person or by mail to: Regional District of Nanaimo, 6300 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6N2; or via email at vote@rdn.bc.ca or by fax to 250-390-4163.
If at least 10 per cent out of the 154 eligible voters submit a completed elector response form by the deadline, the RDN board may not proceed with adopting the proposed lone authorization bylaw.