Grant OK'd
Burnaby's city council passed a motion approving a round of community grants at the June 27 council meeting, including nearly $35,000 to Burnaby Community Connections' programs.
The local non-profit was granted $13,000 for its seniors transportation program, $10,000 for its core programs, and $11,860 for its recreational credit program.
Burnaby Meals on Wheels was granted $9,000.
Two sports organizations also received grants - the South Burnaby Metro Club's U17 Gold Spitfires was granted $1,000 to attend the Provincial B Cup youth soccer championship in Penticton, B.C. next month, and the Burnaby Senior Fastpitch Association was approved for an in-kind grant of $3,600.
Environment Canada's 2011 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference in Vancouver had its grant request denied.
Festival funded
South Burnaby Neighbourhood House was approved for a $500 grant for its annual community street party in August through the Festivals Burnaby Grant Program.
Burnaby council approved the grant at the June 27 meeting, but denied two other requests.
The Charlford Society had a $1,185 grant request, to go towards an annual picnic, denied, and Burnaby Homeless Connect did not have its $3,000 grant request approved, either.
Reasons for the denials were not included in the report from the executive committee of council.
Lighting planned
Burnaby council approved plans to add blue LED light fixtures to the Griffiths pedestrian overpass, to contrast with the white metal halide lights, at the June 27 council meeting.
The lighting is meant to create a visual effect of a white arch floating on a blue base, according to a report from the city's finance and civic development committee.
A budget of $180,000, including HST, was approved for the project, from the Capital Reserves Fund.
Parkade rate set
Burnaby staff has suggested the lease rate for the employee parkade in Burnaby Heights be set at $10 per month.
The use of the parkade at 485 MacDonald St. has been the subject of debate over the past two years, as council and city staff tried to determine what to do with it.
It was shut temporarily to the public in 2009 because of the cost of maintaining, cleaning and repairing it.
In May, council approved plans to keep the underground parkade closed to the public but allow business owners and their employees to lease spaces.
A report from the community development committee submitted to council for Monday night's meeting suggested council set the initial lease rate at $10 per month, to make it accessible for employees.
The parkade would be monitored and adjustments could be made to the arrangement if necessary, the report stated.
