The Irricana and District Public Library may be moving to the vacant location on 224 - Second St., dependent on Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) capital funding.
Irricana CAO Bob Payette said the Town has applied for MSI funding to help offset costs of the purchase of the building.
Payette said he has submitted a request to the Province for $300,000 to pay for the purchase of the building in July.
“$250,000 will be used to purchase the building, the other $50,000 will be used for contingency funds,” Payette said.
“There is also residual MSI grant funding available from previous years, because we haven’t actually spent all of our MSI grant funding from 2013-14.”
It was not known as of press time how much MSI money the Town has held over.
Payette also said that the contingency could include many extra costs for the building.
He said $1.5 million of Provincial may be available over the next few years that could be used to pay for additional costs.
“I know we’ll have to look into security (such as camera equipment) and other expenses that may come up for such a large project,” Payette sad.
“It could cover other expenses the library may face, so we don’t have to take out money from the budget or other funds.”
Council turned down the first proposal for the move at a meeting on July 14 but approved the second proposal during an in-camera session. The new proposal will see the library, Community Links and health clinic move into the building on Second Street. The Boys and Girls Club will move from Irricana United Church into the current library space at the Irricana Recreational Complex.
Councillor Laura Thiessen asked what would happen if the grant is turned down.
“There may be a one per cent chance that it doesn’t get approved, but what would happen?” Thiessen asked.
“If it’s not (approved) then the project dies,” Payette replied.
“But, it’s already gone through different levels of screening, so it’s just waiting to be signed right now.”
Mayor Valerie Squires said the chance of this grant falling through is “half of a per cent.”
Deputy Mayor Dennis Tracz said even if the current proposed grant is not approved, there are other options to consider.
“The point is still valid in terms of what-ifs,” Tracz said.
“I think this current iteration would die, only until we can find another funding source.”
During the public inquiry portion of the council meeting, Irricana resident and Emergency Management Co-ordinator Lorri Laface asked council how they can use Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) funding to pay the rent on the building before the purchase.
“The CAO stated that the FCSS grant will be used to pay for the library’s rent, how can this be done as it would be ineligible under FCSS policy?” Laface asked.
Payette said the facility will be rented until December by the council for Community Links and not the library.
He added, the Town has been using FCSS funding to pay for rent for Community Links for “a few years.”
The Rocky View Weekly contacted Alberta Human Services - the department that awards FCSS funding - and a spokesperson confirmed that FCSS funding cannot be used for operational costs, as the funding is soley for programming costs.
“We will be renting for $2,600 total until the end of the year,” Payette said.
“That’s about half of what the lease had been originally.”
The Town will be expected to pay just over $600 per month over a four-month span.
The agreement is a lease-to-own property.
“We already have the money we need to pay with (for rent),” Payette said of the FCSS funding. Council also suggested naming the building after Rocky View Weekly founder, Gladys Taylor.
