It's going to be into the new year before Houston residents know how their council intends on spending the first part of a $14 million provincial grant coming the District's way over five years.
The money is Houston's portion of $250 million being provided by the province to northwestern local governments as negotiated through the Northwest B.C. Resource Benefits Alliance.
Divided into the five years, Houston is receiving $2.8 million a year for capital projects. It can, however, spend a limited portion on operating expenses.
Council must also indicate each year how it plans on spending the money provided to it for that year.
Although the grant announcement was made this year, the formal agreement between alliance members and the province wasn't signed and the first year allocation not received until after the District's financial plan was adopted for 2024.
That mean there is nothing planned or spent in 2024, said District finance director Jennifer Larson.
"Reporting requirements will begin in 2025 and you will see the planned spending when we start reporting the budget for 2025 and the five-year financial plan for 2025-2029," she said.
District of Houston chief administrative officer Ryan Nitchie added that budget and work plan deliberations will begin in earnest in the new year.
Houston’s $14 million of the $250 million total over five years is the largest amount to be granted within the collection of smaller governments belonging to the alliance.
Houston mayor Shane Brienen welcomed the grant allocation when it was announced earlier this year, saying it will be incorporated into the District's long term capital project needs.
“This is going to change our part of the province for generations to come from what I see. This is something much needed to make our communities more livable and attract people,” he said then.
Brienen also said the money can be combined with other senior government grants for projects that might otherwise not be possible to achieve.
High up on the District's 'to do' list is finishing its long-wanted rehabilitation of the roads and underground services within the downtown core. It wants to replace its aging community hall.
While the District is contemplating how to spend the money, it has paid its share of a contract alliance members took out with a consulting firm who handled negotiations with the provincial government.
The $87,460 payment was authorized by council Dec. 3 and reimburses the Bulkley Nechako regional district, the Kitimat-Stikine regional district, the North Coast regional district and the City of Terrace for payments they made to Poole Consulting Services for 2013 to June 30, 2024.
"The cost was split between all the municipalities and regional districts that will receive the funding under the [benefits alliance] agreement based on a percentage of the amount of funding that was allocated to them," said District of Houston finance director Jennifer Larson.
Council also authorized its participation in a five-year contract to Poole Consulting for ongoing services.
Poole Consulting's principal employee is Ron Poole, an experienced local government administrator who has been closely connected with the workings of the Northwest B.C. Regional Benefits Alliance during its decade-long effort to reach a resource industry taxation revenue sharing agreement with the provincial government.
