The North Okanagan regional district is using the alternative approval process to secure financing for the Greater Vernon Cultural Centre.
On Tuesday, the RDNO issued a release on its goals and steps in building the project in downtown Vernon, which was originally estimated at $40 million but is now pegged at $28 million.
Stemming from plans in 2016 to increase cultural vitality in the area, the centre will house a new art gallery, an adaptable performance space and a new museum.
Iin 2018, voters passed a referendum to borrow $25 million for the multi-purpose facility, with the RDNO hoping to secure the remaining $15 million through donations and grants.
However, the regional district announced last fall that it was scaling down the project to $28 million after failing to secure needed grants.
“The strategy to obtain that amount of money included securing grants from senior levels of government, borrowing up to $25 million, and fundraising,” the regional district said in Tuesday’s press release.
“The RDNO did not receive the major grants it applied for, and since the elector approval to borrow $25 million received by referendum in 2018 was conditional on receiving those grants, the RDNO is proposing a different pathway to building the Cultural Centre.”
That different pathway includes the alternative approval process.
Seventeen sentences into the press release, the regional district announced its intention: “The RDNO board of directors is now seeking approval from electors to adopt a bylaw giving the RDNO the authority to borrow those funds approval through an alternative approval process (AAP). If elector approval is received, the RDNO will proceed to the design phase.”
Also known as a counter-petition, the alternative approval process puts the onus on those against the motion, and usually under tight timeframe conditions. The process requires that at least 10 per cent of eligible voters submit a form of opposition by the deadline.
If less than 10 per cent of eligible voters submit a form of opposition by the deadline, the motion passes — in this case, borrowing $28 million over 20 years. But if more than 10 per cent vote against it, the motion then goes to a public referendum.
The deadline to submit a form of opposition is 4 p.m., on Monday, May 2.
“If the RDNO receives signed elector response forms from 10 per cent (5,635 voters) or more of the eligible electors, it cannot adopt Bylaw 2910 without receiving approval from electors through a subsequent referendum,” said the regional district.
“Since the AAP mechanism only tallies opposition, no action is required of eligible electors that are in favour of the proposal.”
More information about the AAP for the Greater Vernon Cultural Centre is available on the RDNO’s website.
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