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(Nicole Reis/meadowlakeNOW Staff)
SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING

City of Meadow Lake invite public to special council meeting to discuss loan for NCLA fundraiser

Jul 7, 2020 | 1:13 PM

The City of Meadow Lake will be holding a special council meeting Wednesday to consider a request from the Northland Community Lodge Association (NCLA) to provide a construction loan to build a home on a recently donated lot for their fundraising efforts. Dollars raised will contribute to the new long term care facility furnishings and fixtures fund.

At the latest council meeting on June 22, council agreed to donate the lot at 20 Gibson Crescent to the NCLA to help with the costs for the facility’s fixtures, furniture and equipment. At that meeting, Council passed a resolution to approve the donation of an available lot, but did not consider the question of the loan request as the public notice requirements could not been met due to timelines.

City manager Diana Burton told meadowlakeNOW as a general rule council does not provide comments prior to their deliberations.

A significant number of donations for the project have already been committed and an estimate for a maximum required loan amount is $250,000. To date, the NCLA says they have raised approximately $550,000 out of their target of $2.7 million.

According to council’s July 8 agenda, both the NCLA and the builder have also requested the City considered keeping title to the lot until it is sold to the final purchaser. The following benefits to the city should it be determined whether the loan is approved and whether the city agrees to hold title, the following benefits to the committee include:

· The lot remains tax exempt, even if it does not sell before January 1, 2021.

· Between the completion of construction and the sale date, the lot would remain on the City’s insurance policy and the Committee would not be required to obtain insurance;

· Land title transfer fees would only need to be paid once rather than twice; and

· Simplified administration of the project.

If council is in support of this request, an amendment to the resolution passed June 22 can be made, and an agreement would be entered into with the NCLA Committee clarifying the roles, responsibilities and ownership in this project.

If council is not in favour, the city will ensure title is transferred to the committee as soon as possible.

The NCLA has asked the city to be the primary financial backer of this project, with any loan to be repayable in full as soon as the house proceeds are received by the committee. The city will be responsible for what the group does not fundraise.

Any person wishing to present comments for council’s consideration can do so by by attending this meeting in person. The meeting will be held at the Meadow Lake Arena at 600 3rd St East to allow for physical distancing . The meeting is on July 8 beginning at 5:30 p.m. sharp.

nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722

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