Results of Public Works Yard AAP still not ready
The Public Works Yard maintains the City’s water, sewer, and drainage systems, and roads and transportation network. Photo: Lauryn Mackenzie / CHLY 101.7fm
It has been over a year since the City of Nanaimo first started the process of seeking the consent of the voters to borrow funding to upgrade the Public Works Yard.
After two failed attempts due to administrative errors, in the fall of 2023 and winter of 2024, the deadline to submit the response form opposing the borrowing closed last week on October 31, at 4:30 p.m. The Alternative Approval Process, or AAP started on September 18, 2024, with 42 days to submit the response forms, before the cutoff date.
By Provincial law, municipalities that want to take out substantial long-term loans are required to either seek the consent of the voters through a referendum, or an AAP.
Originally the City was looking to borrow $48.5 million for the first phase of a four-phase project with later borrowing needs for subsequent phases, but then opted for a “one and done” plan that would have a higher borrowing need at $90 million. This new plan would have no anticipated future borrowing to complete the remaining phases of the facility.
The Public Works Yard maintains the City’s water, sewer, and drainage systems, and roads and transportation network. It also provides garbage collection and snow removal for the city of Nanaimo.
As the deadline has passed for people to submit forms opposed to the borrowing, CHLY reached out to the City of Nanaimo to find out when the results from the AAP would be available.
Karen Robertson, Deputy Corporate Officer for the Legislative Services Department for the City responded back by email saying they are still counting the results.
Robertson said that during an election where voting machines are used, results can often be made within hours of the closing of voting locations, but for an AAP, it can take more time. This is because for an AAP, elector response forms are submitted and each form must be reviewed individually and manually input into a database
She said during the process “the electors name and address is compared to the voter’s list. For those not on the voter’s list, the eligibility requirements must be verified.” She also said that “this process also ensures that if any duplicates are received they are caught and not counted twice.”
Robertson said that once the submission process is done, the Corporate Officer will then certify them by conducting an audit.
She said while they can not predict how long the process will take, once the process has been fully completed and the results certified by the Corporate Officer, the results will be posted on the City’s website and a report will also go forward to city council.
Approval for the borrowing will not be met if 10 per cent of the voting population or 7,974 or more elector responses are received by the deadline.
Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.