Inverness County will borrow money and help groups in an attempt to get more generators in
facilities around the municipality.
Special Projects Coordinator Melanie Beaton told yesterday’s meeting of Inverness Municipal Council in Port Hood that groups operating community halls are applying for funding under the Community Generator Program.
Under the program only facilities designated as comfort centres by municipalities are eligible to apply, Beaton said.
Beaton said the total project cost is $1.2 million, with $922,000 from the province, and $278,628 from the municipality.
Because the deadline is Nov. 17, Beaton said time is running out and municipal employees are working to get estimates from groups for the application.
To get as many facilities funded as possible, council first passed a motion to designate facilities as comfort centres, then council approved a motion to fund the project by increasing the emergency measures grant to $300,000, and because $135,000 allocated in the capital budget for sprinkler system upgrades cannot be used this year, council agreed to use that, plus the remaining amount from operating reserves.