The AAP will start on September 18, 2024, with 42 days to submit the response form, before the cutoff date of October 31, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. Photo: Lauryn Mackenzie / CHLY 101.7fm

The City of Nanaimo, for a third time, is moving forward with an Alternative Approval Process (AAP) to seek approval from electors to borrow money for the Public Works Yard, but this time with a higher price tag.

This comes after council reevaluated its plans for upgrading the Public Works Yard from its original plan to upgrade the space in phases. The original phase plan, which would have seen $48.5 million borrowed for the first phase, was pushed back after two failed AAP attempts in the fall and winter, due to error.

The Public Works Yard Update project was formerly known as the Nanaimo Operations Centre project.

Last week at a city council meeting on July 22, council voted to move forward with a “one and done” plan that would upgrade the two highest priority items for the upgrades–the Fleet Maintenance Building and the Administration building– in a single phase. This new plan would see a higher borrowing need at $90 million, but according to the City, would have no anticipated future borrowing to complete the remaining phases of the facility.

At a special city council meeting on Monday, July 29, council voted to proceed with the AAP to get electors approval to borrow the $90 million. Under provincial law, municipalities that want to take out substantial long-term loans are required to seek the consent of electors through a referendum or AAP.

The motion to proceed with the AAP for the borrowing of up to $90 million for Public Works Yard updates passed unanimously.

Councillor Ian Thorpe, who at a previous Governance and Priorities meeting had concerns about changing the plan to a higher borrowing price, still sees the need for this project.

“In light of past discussions, I just want to make it clear that I personally feel this is a totally appropriate process for moving ahead with this project and I absolutely support it,” Thorpe said.

The AAP will start on September 18, 2024, with 42 days to submit the response form, before the cutoff date of October 31, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. This is 12 days more than the legislative required 30 days for the AAP to run.

During the feedback submission period, eligible electors can submit their form opposed to the borrowing to the City of Nanaimo in person at the Legislative Services Department at City Hall, by mail, or through electronic submission on the city’s website.

Sheila Gurrie, Director of Legislation Services, said at the meeting that now electors will be able to submit feedback electronically which came from feedback from the past AAP attempts.

She said, along with social media posts, newspaper and radio ads, and open houses, the City will do an informational flyer drop to households within the city limits.

“It's to help communicate the recent policy change now allowing individuals to submit their completed and signed forms electronically, as well as giving information about the project,” Gurrie said.

Gurrie mentioned that city staff did explore the option of sending the information through addressed mail, but she said this option is much more costly.

“It's approximately $34,000 versus $13,000 for a flyer drop, and recipients would be limited to homeowners only,” Gurrie said. “So doing a mail drop for $34,000 would be limited to homeowners and the benefits of a flyer drop along with its reduced cost is that all addresses including rentals and apartments or condos would receive the information.”

She said that the flyer drop option, while it has a bigger each, comes with the risk that some individuals residing outside the eligible electoral boundaries may still receive the flyers and leading to confusion. As well those with signs by their doors that indicate no solicitation would not receive the flyer.

Gurrie said the communication on the project and the AAP will be ready in the coming weeks.

Councillor Erin Hemmens said she thanked staff for bringing forward a way to communicate with the public on such a large-scale project.

“I think that's going to address a lot of the concerns,” Hemmens said. “So if a flyer is going to every single house, I think that's a great approach along with everything else that we've identified.”

Approval for the borrowing will not be met if 7,974 or more elector responses are received by October 31, 2024, at 4:30 p.m.

Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.