Solar Colwood program undergoing reviews
Colwood council is requesting the Municipal Auditor General undertake an audit of the Solar Colwood program.
It also asked the City’s strategic and financial planning committee to perform its own financial review of the program, including the development of a terms of reference.
Staff contacted the province to ask about the status of the still-forming municipal auditor’s office. The office will not be up and running for some months, said City staff, and even then they are not sure if an audit of Solar Colwood will fall under its mandate.
Councilors agreed that Colwood should apply regardless but also look to the financial committee to perform its own review.
An audit by Natural Resources Canada is also set to begin this month.
Road infrastructure grant extended
The province is extending a grant deadline for Colwood, allowing the City to build a crosswalk near West Shore Parks and Recreation.
The $395,000 LocalMotion grant, which previously expired on March 31, 2012, has been extended for one year, giving the city plenty of time to finish the $864,000 project, which includes sidewalks, bike lanes and a crosswalk on Island Highway.
Colwood seeks grants for Sooke Road upgrade
Colwood is seeking a number of grants from the province’s gas tax program for roadwork.
A major portion of the work would include bike lanes, sidewalks and drainage improvements along Island Highway and Sooke Road from the Galloping Goose trail south of Wale Road to Veterans Memorial Parkway. This would involve two separate grants totalling $8.5 million.
Two grants are also being applied for the development of a transportation master plan and a stormwater master plan.
These master plans will help Colwood plan for future developments and will be the first such master plans created since the City’s incorporation in 1986. Each grant would likely be for about $100,000.