An expenditure of $10,500 will pay off in just over two years for ongoing electrical cost savings at the arena.
The money will be used to install a capacitor bank, equipment that will better balance the power drawn from BC Hydro and how it is used to power the arena facilities.
If there is an imbalance and too much power is drawn from BC Hydro then can be used efficiently, the result is a billing surcharge which for 2021 was approximately $4,824.31, or nine per cent of the total arena billings that year of $53,492.15, leisure services director Cassie Henrickson outlined in a memo to council.
“If the potential cost savings on our energy bills in 2021 were to remain unchanged in futue years, it would take only 2.17 years to recover the installation of this [capacitor bank] device,” she wrote.
The quote from the district’s electrical contractor came to $10,443,62 covering purchase of the capacitor bank and its installation.
A capacitor bank would not be new to the District of Houston as there is already a capacitor bank installed at the leisure facility.
The leisure facility and the arena are so far are the District’s only facilities where a capacitor bank would have a benefit.
District finances in good shape
Tax payments are coming in to the District while it continues to meet its financial obligations, District of Houston finance director Jennifer Larson reported to council.
As of mid-July, $5.6 million in tax assessments have been paid representing 82 per cent of tax bills paid out.
In addition to tax payments, $2.59 million was received in the form of Dungate Community Forest profits and placed in a Bulkley Valley Credit Union savings account earning 1.7 per cent interest. The community forest is majority-owned by the District.
As of June 30, Larson said the District had $4 million in its current account to cover operating costs and payments to other levels of government amounting to $1.778 million.
And, said Larson, the provincial government sent the District more money in the form of a grant than first anticipated.
“This year the province provided this [grant] in two payments with an increase of 36 per cent based on the increase in assessed [property] values,” Larson wrote. “This increase of $181,000 represents additional revenue which was not budgeted.”
She said department heads have been provided with detailed budget reports that are updated each month so they can manage their sections of the District budget.
Animal Control Bylaw adopted
With three readings of the bylaw having been given at a previous council meeting, amendments to the Animal Control Bylaw were formally adopted at counci’s July 19 meeting.
One of the more major changes is providing District employees with more flexibility as to when or if an impounded dog is to be disposed of.
The hold period of five days is now three days but employees can now consider situations such as adopting out a dog without the person or family receiving the dog having to pay impoundment fees.
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