While Port Alberni city council struggles to bring down this year’s proposed tax increase, one councillor has a unique idea to generate some revenue for the city.
READ MORE: Tax increase likely to remain in double digits: Port Alberni city council
Councillor Todd Patola made a motion during a Monday, Feb. 26 meeting, asking city staff to look at constructing a campground facility on city-owned lands.
While the city budgets $100,000 per year to promote tourism, there are limited places within the city for tourists to stay, said Patola. He acknowledged that there are several hotels within city limits, as well as campgrounds outside of the city, but pointed out that there are no campgrounds within the city.
“All of them require some form of extended travel to get to the community’s centre,” he said.
Patola specifically proposed using the city-owned lots on the corner of Pemberton Road and Gertrude Street, which are “ideally located” on the new Quay to Quay pathway and close to amenities. This was the location of the former Tidebrook Motel, which burned down more than 10 years ago.
Since the city purchased the property back in 2015, the lot has remained vacant. The city put out a request for proposals for the site back in 2016, but nothing came of this.
READ MORE: City of Port Alberni considers Tidebrook RFP
Patola said he is open to exploring other city-owned sites, but pointed out that since the city purchased the Tidebrook Motel property, the site hasn’t been used for anything except parking for cabs.
“What we have right now is $1.2 million worth of assets that haven’t produced any income for over 10 years,” said Patola. “To not even consider it would be, to me, irresponsible.”
Other councillors were torn about the proposal.
“I very much agree with the idea of increasing the city’s revenue streams,” said Coun. Dustin Dame. “As we are wrestling with ways to keep the tax increases constrained, that is certainly one thing I agree we should be looking at.”
However, Dame and other councillors were worried about both the location and staff capacity, given the number of other projects the city is working on.
“If we focus on everything, we focus on nothing,” said Coun. Debbie Haggard. “The city does not have the capacity at this time to operate a campground.”
Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions said she was interested in exploring the concept, but she pointed out that a municipal campground is not included in this council’s strategic plan.
“For that reason, I won’t support moving on it today,” she said. “That said, I would like to see this brought to our next strategic planning review, because I do think there’s a lot of value in exploring the potential.”
Council agreed to refer the discussion to a future meeting, after council reviews its strategic plan. Council holds strategic planning reviews approximately twice a year, said Minions.