Council approves another $385,000 in spending from COVID Restart grant

The city has spent another $680,000 of the Safe Restart COVID recovery funds.

In 2020 the city received $2.1 million from a joint fund from the federal and provincial government to be used for:

•revenue shortfalls

•facility reopening and operating costs

•emergency planning and response costs

•bylaw enforcement and protective services like fire and police

•technology costs (to improve interconnectivity and virtual communications)

•services for vulnerable people

The city spent $334,188 in 2020, leaving around $1.09 million in the fund going forward.

Spending approved earlier in 2021 includes:

•$20,000-external grants

•$50,000-portable toilets

•$80,000-bylaw compliance

•$100,000-flex firefighter

•$45,000-public hearings

Spending approved at the Oct. 26 council meeting includes:

•$37,000-IT Hardware

•$10,000-IT Software

•$7,000-portable toilets

•$10,330-PPE-consumable

•$7,000-PPE-one time

•$106,120-Recovery Task Force

•$41,300-Resort Shuttle

•$86,250-Idea Factory Tech Upgrades

•$7,342-Wellbeing Survey

•$4,658-Wellness Campaign

•$43,000-Quarantine

•$25,000-50 per cent of Revy Masks

So far they have budgeted $80,000 to be spent in 2022, including:

•$50,000-portable toilets

•$100,000-flex firefighter

•$50,000-public hearings

•$350,000-virtual council/committee meetings

•$15,000-IT Hardware

•$5,000-IT Software

•$40,000-Resort Shuttle

•$20,000-Quarantine

Council has also approved a policy to assess and award money from the grant to non-profits and charities.

Eligible expenses must be directly related to the delivery of core community services for vulnerable populations.