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Alternative Approval Process for Public Works Yard Updates

UPDATE: At the Regular Council meeting held on December 2, 2024 Council was presented with the certified results of the Public Works Yard AAP which indicated that elector approval had not been obtained. Council directed staff to abandon the borrowing bylaw and report back on options for alternative ways to complete the public works project (link to staff report).

The City of Nanaimo conducted an alternative approval process (AAP) to seek elector approval to adopt “Public Works Yard Updates Borrowing Bylaw 2024 No. 7386”. If adopted, this bylaw would allow the City to borrow up to $90 million to finance the cost of replacing the fleet maintenance and crew/administration buildings at the public works yard. The loan would be repaid over a period not to exceed twenty (20) years. Information about the Public Works Yard Updates Project can be found on the Public Works Yard Updates Project site.

An AAP is a common process used by municipalities to seek elector approval of loan authorization bylaws. During an AAP, eligible electors have at least 30 days to sign and submit a response form if they are opposed to the proposed initiative. In this instance, the City ran the AAP for the Public Works Yard Updates Borrowing Bylaw for 42 days. This provided an additional 12 days beyond what is legislatively required. 

During this period, if 10 per cent or more of the eligible electors sign and submit response forms, the City would need to hold a referendum (also known as assent voting) to obtain elector approval in order to proceed. If less than 10 percent of eligible electors sign and submit response forms, Council can choose to proceed with the initiative. 

This AAP began on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. The deadline for submitting completed and signed elector response forms was 4:30 pm on Thursday, October 31, 2024. 

Please review elector eligibility requirements: Alternative Approval Process Elector Eligibility.

How an Alternative Approval Process Works

  • If you support Council adopting the bylaw to borrow money for this project, no action is required.
  • If you are an eligible resident or non-resident property elector of the City of Nanaimo and you are opposed to the adoption of the bylaw you may fill in, sign and submit an elector response form prior to the deadline of 4:30 pm on October 31, 2024.
  • For this AAP, the number of electors in the City of Nanaimo is estimated to be 79,736. City Council may proceed with adopting Bylaw No. 7386 unless 10 per cent of electors (7,974) submit elector response forms by the deadline.

 

Supporting Documents & Information

Who to contact

If you have any questions about the AAP process please email Legislative.servicesoffice@nanaimo.ca or call (250)755-4405. 

If you have any questions about the Public Works Yard Updates Project please email EngineeringInfo@nanaimo.ca or call 250-754-4251, ext. 4230. 

Last updated: December 20, 2024

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