Kelowna city councillors struck down a controversial motion that would乌鸦传媒檝e seen some funds earmarked for affordable housing moved to assist the struggling tourism industry on Monday night (July 13).
The report called for the online accommodation platform (OAP) revenue reserve, a tax pot that collected from short-term rental organizations like Airbnb, to be split in two for 2021 乌鸦传媒� 50 per cent to affordable housing and 50 per cent to Tourism Kelowna, rather than 100 per cent towards housing as council had previously decided.
The split was suggested due to revenue losses amid empty rooms at local hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic 乌鸦传媒� and further expected struggles in the tourism industry through next year.
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Council quashed the motion by a vote of 5-3. Mayor Colin Basran, as well as Councillors Gail Given and Brad Sieben 乌鸦传媒� who sit as council乌鸦传媒檚 representative and alternate representative on the Tourism Kelowna Board 乌鸦传媒� were the lone votes for. Coun. Maxine DeHart recused herself from the vote as she works in the tourism industry.
Basran said splitting the OAP wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 have any effect on the city乌鸦传媒檚 ability to acquire land for affordable housing projects, clarifying that the city乌鸦传媒檚 affordable housing projects are always partnerships 乌鸦传媒� usually with BC Housing.
乌鸦传媒淚f BC Housing comes knocking tomorrow, and says we have an opportunity, I have every confidence we would be able to find a way to purchase that property to move a project forward,乌鸦传媒� Basran said.
Several of his councillors felt differently, however.
乌鸦传媒淚n my opinion, once the direction is changed, we will never get it back. That乌鸦传媒檚 why I think we should stay the course as long as we can because I think this will help build a foundation we need for the longer term,乌鸦传媒� said Coun. Luke Stack. He continued by saying that they need to show industry partners like BC Housing that they are committed to issues like affordable housing.
乌鸦传媒淣ow that the money is in the pocket of affordable housing, I struggle philosophically to bring it back out,乌鸦传媒� said Coun. Ryan Donn.
City council did largely agree on helping 乌鸦传媒渟hort-haul乌鸦传媒� tourism move forward immediately, supporting an advance of the monthly funds it was already set to send Tourism Kelowna for the rest of the year in a lump sum amounting around $143,500.
Tourism Kelowna plans to use those funds to market towards local, regional, provincial and Western Canadian audiences.
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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