2 TERRACE — If this ear's

” Kitimat-Stikine regional district

budget is:to come in on target,

‘MK Bay Marina will have to live

up to its revenue expectations, :
_That’s the bottom ‘Tine in a

budget that calls for an increase -
in district expenditures of nearly -
10. per cent but only asks ‘tax-.—
- payers to come up with just over

, half of that amount;

- District spending. ‘for 1991 has

been set-at $2.95 million, an in-'
Crease ‘of nearly $300,000

However, the general tax levy
will rise only $84,000, or 5, 6 per

_ cent.

revenues from. other. sources..
While frontage taxes ($99,000)
and provincial government

grants ($440,000) are expected

to be. much the same as last
year, the district to be pulling in
a lot more from elsewhere, -

In particular, MK Bay
Marina — expected to reopen

-April 15. — is being relied upon

to come to the rescue.

Revenue from the facility —
moorage, fuel sales, parking
charges, etc. — is projected to
hit $475,000. Add that to the

$104,000 maximum: tax levy -

“Im fairly comfortable
with those numbers.” —
marina manager. Devon.

' allowed on the marina function

and not only are 1991 operating
but the |

expenses covered,
marina’s accumulated deficit of
$270,000 is also wiped out,

Top money makers in the
-budget are fuel sales

at
$270,000, permanent .and tem-
porary moorage -fees at
$107,500 and retail sales of ice,
snacks and fishing gear at
$60,000.

While conceding “first year”
budgets are always tough ones,
marina manager Wayne Devon
— he drew up the budget — em-
phasized he wouldn't have laid
it out that way unless he was

_confident it was achievable,

“I'm ‘fairly comfortable with
those numbers,”’ hesaidss cin.
* Although -the fuel. supply
system will-:not be up and runn-
ing when the marina re-opens

‘on April 15, he pointed out the

-HIGHLIGHTS

The difference lies i in s forecast

budget had been: based on. the
original opening date of May. 1.
_ Atrangements had now. been
finalized with an oil company to
supply the pumps and an extra
fuel tank and all that remained
now was to install these, con-
struct a concrete spill contain-
ment wall: and build a fence
around. the .compound.' The
work.was expected to go out to
tender this week.

That still left the question of
the regional district finding the
money to pay for the work, but
Devon expected the system to be
operational. by. May 1.

‘As for the othier main revenue

generator, moorage fees, he
said 40 local boaters = 10 of
those in the last week — had so
far signed up for permanent
moorage and. selected their
spots and the figure was ex-
pected to climb sharply over the
next two weeks, —

That, he. explained, was
because those ‘who had held
moorage at the old. marina or
been on its waiting list had been
given ‘first refusal on berths at
the new facility until‘April £5,
After that, moorage would be
assigned on a first come, first
serve basis,

‘Already, he added, there was

' strong out-of-town interest with

enquiries being received by
boaters as far away as Prince
George, Williams Lake,
Quesnel and even Edmonton.

“It’s a natural launch site for
the Interior,”’ he said in adding

the inquiries are no surprise.

“There's not another marina
here you can use when the tide’s
down.”

Permanent moorage charges
are $4 per foot per month. With
1989 . statistics showing. an
average length of almost 30
feet, that translates to an annual
fee of approximately $1,400.

Femporary moorage’ rates
vary from. $7. per foot per
month during peak season (mid-
June to Labour Day) to 50 cents
per foot for’ overnighters.
Revenue projections here were
based on 1,250 boater-nights. at
an average .of. $10 peri night.
That was in line with the ex-
perience of the old facility,
Devon said,

~ The district expects to spend $2,945. million in 1991, Major
> gost items on which all residents of the region pay taxes are:

_ © (General government services — $574,000. —
That includes $142,000 administrative overhead, $237,000
oes On staff costs and $92,000 for directors pay and expenses. The

-. “oc levy on-Terrace taxpayers is $66,650 and $14, 100 for Thor-
~ > Bill residents.
Me - Ae Planning services _— $199,000 (Terrace $14,000 and

y aprovincial grant. —
“Dog control — $86,800

- Landfill site ~ $69,500 -

“Fire department — $172, 000
“Community centre — $49,000°

:° @ Parks and recreation — 49, 500
© Street Hghting — $53,200:
“ae By-law enforcement — $10,500

: . Economic development commission — $53,500 No cost
‘to ‘Terrace, $3,700 for Thornhill)
_. Other area$ where both Terrace and Thornhill residents are
“taxed include repayment of the capital debt on the long
_ defunct Kitsumkalum ski hill ($29,100 and $14,400 respec-
tively) and MK Bay Marina ($24,800 and $5 200). ee
- BERK -

Several ‘other expenditures, however, apply to ‘Thornhill :
residents. only. These include: :
© Water system — $609,600 but 327 000 of that i is cover

* > operates .
However, that fell well short of
‘the. taxes it can collect for that

THE SIGN SAYS IT ALL. Fuel sales are predictably expected to be the main revenue generator at MK
Bay Marina this summer. They are therefore an important factor in the facility's 1991 budget and, by
extension, that of the regional district. Aithough the district is stil! looking for the money needed to in-
Stall the supply system, hopes remain high it'will be fourid by May 1.

Financial cupboard bare

TERRACE — When MK Bay
‘Marina reopens April 15, it will
offer only basic maorage — and
that will remain the case until
the federal and provincial
governments come up with
some extra money, says the

Kitimat-Stikine regional district.

chairman.

To date, the federal govern-
ment has contributed $1 million
through its Small Craft Har-
bour program while the pro-
vince kicked in a GO B.C.
grant of $707,000, one third of
the projected cost at that time.

However, Jack Talstra said
last. week all that money has
been spent carrying out both the
land and marine dredging for
the expanded basin and installa-
tion of the. breakwater and
125-berth: floats and’ fi ingers. 7"

What’s missing are-a'fuel'sup-
ply, graded parking lot and elec-
trical; watér and sewer services
— and the cash to pay for their
installation.  -

Ensuring fuel is available is
particularly important because
the sale of gas is projected to be‘

Jack Talstra

- the main revenue generator for '' ‘atleast: benefit fromthe “‘vast.:-:-

the facility. -Talstra. confirmed::
local boaters had also indicated,

it should now be the district's
number cne priority,
‘Emphasizing the district was
still pursuing several different
avenues to obtain extra money,
he added, “We remain Op-

timistic one of them will come
through for us.” .

For example, he had lobbied
the Municipal Affairs ministry
during a trip to Victoria two
weeks ago last week and an-
ticipated a ‘favourable reply”’
in the very near future.

“That will probably free up
enough money to put the fuel
supply in,’’ he suggested.

Although the exact cost will not

be known until bids from the
tender process come in, earlier
estimates had placed it at
$50-60,000.

As for the other missing ser-
vices, Talstra said, ‘Those will
be worked at one at a time as

- funds become available." In the

meantime, he pointed out
boaters using the marina would

>improvement’” over the original, . =

basin.
He also pointed out they had

done without these type of ser-

vices at the temporary moorages
they had . been using while
waiting for the expansion pro-
ject to be finished.

Dump deficit needs action

TERRACE — The regional
district will again incur an
operational deficit on its landfill
sites this year and that, says
Thornhill director Les Wat-
mough, cannot go on.

Last year it cost the district

$146,000 to administer and

maintain the. 10 dumps it
in the region.

portion. of its budget.

ind costs expected to widen this
ear, the district is projecting
accumulated deficit . will
ave reached $55,000 by the end

: of the. ‘year.

| The: problem, Watmough ex-

_Plalned, began when the En-

vironment: ministry insisted the
district end uncontrolled burn-
ing at its Thornhill and
Hazelton dumps.. That meant
having an attendant on hand
during operating hours which in
turn drove up the cast of the
maintenance contract at those
sites, ..

However, existing regulations
place. limit the amount the
district can collect in taxes on
that function and that figure is

-. Tess‘than it costs to run them.
With the gap between revenue

Therefore, Watmough said, the
district has little choice but to
seek. Provincial approval for an
increase in the tax levy max-
imum. —

“We have to have dunips and
we can’t run ‘them at a deficit
forever, * he added.

Les Watmough

_ By BRIAN LIBERMAN
dent of the Kitimat-Terrace
_ He fives i ia. Kitimat,

‘40 Collective bargaining, -

persons would’ fail t

~ recognize that political. par-"
“T ties ‘carry with them a pre-:
: “disposition | to: be pro
‘B. Dusiness > or ‘pro-labour, :
*“f. Labour: laws: can and have.
been enacted that have given:
“pone. sides an advantage: over:

“Brian Liberman is. presi-
- and District Labour Council, -

“Union ‘involvement ‘ia.
us politics is sometimes ques-
: ‘tloned by’ those unfamiliar ©
with ‘the Jabour movement, °.
. Even within unions, there are.
. those “who. feel. organized”
‘labour should limit itself to <".:
‘worksite ‘representation . and ay often: large ‘and: ‘beg. retlirn
‘favours. Working people:
Yet, only the most naive of :

“In Canada, it is businesses’ -
; * Hight to. lobby and support
' political _ parties. that will

*~ ORRACR.. legislation creating a ..
., favourable

_slimate, * To, counter .. the

dient for labour. to: ‘support,
“politicians atid. parties. that
“will legislate in a way ‘most
“ fabourable to them, ....:..,

‘Business. contributions are

cannot afford ‘these ‘sizabl

“Historically, Isbour ‘has:
championed the cause of the’;
ess fortunate. It is for lhiese
people, the ‘unem)

‘economic -

“racial: minority, the single
‘parent, the family struggling
to. survive on low wages, to
-Mmention buy a few, that
~ labour -has sought political

“change.
~wealth:'-and’. influence . Of. : os ange

. business it.; becomes: exper -:

‘Canadian labour has tried .
to.‘influence government an
such. issues as the environ-
ment ‘and national sovereign-
ty): in opposition to a
political climate that allowed
business to destroy our na-
tional resources, and tear
- ‘down jour unique ‘cultural

~. identity, Unions must remain

politically. active if the safety
“net of social services is to re-

‘tain Intact,

It:t4 all too obvions that
‘business: wants to disenfran-
“chise itself, from sharing the
tax burden’ ‘for ‘education,
health ‘care,. unemployment
and. the elderly. The substitu-

“You bet unions have a place

tion ‘of the GST for the
manufacturer’s tax is proof.
of government collusion.

-We see the handy work of
a business supported govern-
ment. in: Ottawa. Taxation |

his become ® burdensome;

Family allowance: and old’
age security are being taken:
back... The “Pecan Coded.

system, The ‘Jobs ‘promised

for ‘all ‘Canadians just’ a few .
years: ago are continuing to.
“ross the. border.at an nar

ta tise. There is an immifent:
ts that any

'Mexite-U. 8::Canada - free.
‘-trade de

leave workers _
facturing pector.

. sacredness of negotiated con-
tracts and free collective -
bargaining is being overturn--
-ed. What will be the damage

“be forced upon our fragile.
_ environment while the pro- |

- the favour of the pulp -and

es .become of the. families .

employment - continues :

“What will become: of: our
. children and the: elderly?

‘ly active? The -anew

jobless. - me
In Victoria, governitient is
interfering with the collective
bargaining process... The -.

to our school and health care
systems resulting from Bill -
82? -.
"How much pollution will
vincial government courts
paper giants?. What . will
unable to. afford housing |
where their jobs are located?

. Should unionis:be pola

nequivocal yes

. wm s Standard | Wednesday, March 27, 1991 —

LETTERS

Paga A5

: 10 THE TERRACE STANDARD

Query on
project
motive

Dear Sir: — .

After reading your article

on the proposed port. for
Kitimat, ] am wondering just
who is really going to benefit
from such a development.
Would I be too cynical -in
suggesting that the Scoreds
are really scrambling to buy
local votes for the dreaded
upcoming election?
Sixty million dollars for a
port, eh? Let's see. We've
got a good but under-used
port at Prince Rupert and
we've got an under-used rail
line serving it. Apparently,
one of the other Socred
megaprojects (Nartheast
Coal} hasn’t panned out.
Hmmm?
The port plan suggests tak-
ing lumber business away
from Rupert, shipping for a
new pulp mill, and cargoes
from. a future copper
smelter, The planned. 60
megabuck cost doesn't in-
clude the price of the land
from Eurocan or the money
to upgrade the CN line south
from Terrace. Nor does the
$500,000 plan estimate
Operating costs or revenues.
Hmmmm?

What will this port do for
us? Cause hardship for
others in Rupert. Lead to
more environmental
degradation from pulp mills
and copper smelters. And, in
the finest Socred tradition of
‘sound fiscal management’,
end up costing us a whole lot
more than 60 million.

Maybe there are better
places to put that money.
How "bout in the bank at 10
per cent? That’s 6 million a
year. Re-invest 3 million to
cover inflation leaves us 3
million a year. What could
every classroom in Kitimat
and Terrace school districts
do with an extra 4 or § grand
per year?

ate eT

rae

-year would significantly aug-
ment the income from calen-
dar ‘sales for the local
hospitals. Maybe fish and
wildlife could hire more that
two conservation officers to
police the area from here to
the Yukon. Maybe we could
help a regional recycling pro-
gram get started. Who
knows, maybe they could
recycle some of the magazine
paper and copper that. goes
into the landfill sites now.

Whoaaa! I’m getting car-
ried away in an anti-
progress, socialist, en-
vironmental vortex, Who am
I kidding? I’ve undoubtedly
missed some high-tech
subtlety of Michael
Walkerian economic theory.

Indeed, after only teaching
for five hours today, I've
probably lost touch with the
realities of those with real
jobs.

After all, what's the harm
in the Socreds spending our
money to get us to elect Dave
Parker again? Maybe some
of the affluence from the
pulp mills and smelters will
trickle down our way.

Gienn Grieve
Terrace, B.C.

“About
fetters

The Terrace Standard
welcomes letters to the editor -
on all topics. All letters must:
be signed and carry an ad-
dress and local telephone.
number. Addresses or phone:
numbers won't be printed:
with the letter, but they are.
necessary for confirmation:
of the letter’s authenticity.
The writer's name will. be
published. Requests for:
names to be withheld may be;
granted in extraordinary cir!
cumstances, . °

- Thank you. letters should.
be submitted to the-‘Card of.
Thanks’. section. of . the.
classifieds, ; :
- Letters containing. libelous.
J or. objectionable matter will:
be edited or returned to the:
writer, All letters are run on:

shorter : letters: ‘likely, to” be

.Maybe.an extra 3-million 4 .

1

a space available. basis, with: an

Lette

owt Medes

of