Successful Community Initiative projects unveiled

By David F. Rooney

All but five of of the 43 projects that were put forward for Columbia Basin Trust Community Initiative Program funding were successful, City Council was told on Tuesday.

A memo to Council, which was meeting as a Committee of the Whole, said 38 of the projects all received slices of the $344,961 that was available this year.

The five unsuccessful projects were: a biological inventory of Williamson Lake by the Rod & Gun Club, which had sought $4,656; an $11,485 visitor demographic survey by the Chamber of Commerce; $40,000 for the Friends’ Balsam Lake Bookstore; the $20,000 River Use Access and Management Plan proposed by the City; and a $30,280 Legal Assistance and Education Project put forward by CK Advocacy & Education Resource.

The CBT’s Affected Areas & Community Initiatives Program has been in existence since 1998 and, to date, has disbursed $2.36 million to local sports, environmental and cultural groups, certain City projects and many social-development programs.Annual funding has ranged from $132,526 to this year’s record $346,257.

You can see a PDF-format list of the outcomes for all 43 projects by clicking here.