Council members want to meet with Houston Shopping Centre representatives in Vancouver to discuss the state of the property.
Councillor Tom Euverman raised the prospect of a meeting, saying there’s sufficient concern about the condition of the property to warrant council asking some questions.
“I don’t know when the washrooms were shut down in the mall [but] I”ve been hearing consistently [of] complaints and I thought, well, we should as council try to do something,” he said at the March 11 council meeting.
“The mall is in bad shape and I think we have to start somewhere in communicating and talking is a good start,” Euverman added.
He added that a conversation with the mall owners about economic development in general in Houston would be a good idea.
The prospective meeting time is this week when council members are in Vancouver April 10-12 for the Council of Forest Industries annual convention.
Councillor Rebecca Hougen backed Euverman’s suggestion of a meeting with the mall owners.
“I think that something needs to change and if this is the first steps, then I fully support that,” she said.
Hougen will be one of the councillors in Vancouver for the Council of Forest Industries annual convention and said she’d be glad to sit in with Euverman on the meeting.
Councillor Troy Reitsma, however, did not support the idea, saying council does not otherwise ask for meetings with other business owners.
“I’m just concerned we’re getting into the bit of the weeds here and getting out of our governance part and getting into the day to day stuff,” he said.
Reitsma said the District’s economic development officer is best able to handle situations of this type.
Extra payment time approved
Council has again approved extending the time period to pay property taxes from July 2 to Oct. 31 without people having to worry about accumulating a penalty.
It’s the second time in two years council has made the decision. And, just like last year, the extended period reflects the ongoing economic impact of Canfor’s early 2023 decision to close its sawmill.
“As the continued closure of Canfor still impacts a large number of taxpayers, staff is recommending that the due date for 2024 property taxes be deferred until Oct. 31,” finance director Jennifer Larson noted in a memo.
She also noted that 20 per cent of 41 respondents to a District survey regarding its 2024 budget said the Canfor closure had effected their ability to pay property taxes on time last year and that nearly 30 per cent said they took advantage of the extended time period.
Larson said a payment deferral to a later date has little impact on the District.
Taxpayers will, however, be subject to a 10 per cent penalty if their taxes are not paid by after Oct. 31.
Off to Penticton
Councillor Tom Euverman won’t be going to Calgary in June to join upwards of 1,000 local government officials and others at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities convention in favour of going to Penticton instead.
And that’s to attend the B.C. Economid Summit in May in that southern Okanagan city instead.
There will be no extra cost to the District because the expense of sending Euverman to Calgary will be shifted to travelling to Penticton.
A gathering in Prince Rupert
Council has approved using some of its budget set aside for reconciliation efforts to help send three people from the Houston Lhc-et-dli Preservation Society to the ‘She Leads Women’s Gathering’ in Prince Rupert from April 25 to April 26.