City of Williams Lake reallocating remaining COVID Safe Restart Grant money

The City of Williams Lake has decided how to use the remainder of its COVID-19 Safe Restart Grant money.

At tonight’s (Tuesday) City Council Meeting, Council voted to use the remaining funds for the following uses:

• To provide a 50% Business License Fee Relief in 2022 (estimated at $80,000). To be funded from remaining funds from allocations to COVID Business Support – $67,385 and COVID Community Events – $12,615.
• To provide up to 20 hardship grants for not-for-profit organizations serving the Williams Lake Community in the amount of $1,250 each (total $25,000), with staff being delegated the authority to allocate these grants on a first-come, first serve basis where COVID related hardship is demonstrated. To be funded from remaining funds allocated to COVID Community Events – $25,000.
• Remodelling of the Kiwanis Park tennis court to provide pickleball courts. To be funded by all remaining funds from COVID Friendly Recreation allocation – $39,759, supplemented by funds from allocation to COVID Community Events – $8,241.
• Adding the remaining $4,414 from COVID Community Events allocation to the Pandemic Fund.

“The key behind this is to really get the money back into the community, into the hands of  small business people, into the hands of non-profit organizations that are at a point in time, that are struggling” said Councillor Scott Nelson.

“There’s no better way to spend this money than the way that we’re doing.”

Councillor Marnie Brenner also inquired about the possibility of checking with other city departments to see if there were other projects or initiatives to support.

Other items on the agenda for the meeting included 2022’s Regular City Council meeting Schedule, and councillor appointments to various committees.