ATHABASCA – The Athabasca Regional Multiplex Society still has not received word on whether or not they will receive a grant from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to help fund the construction of solar panels on the Athabasca Regional Multiplex.
In a Jan. 7 e-mail, Stephanie Ripley from the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre said they would need to receive word from the society regarding the Alberta Municipal Solar Program grant by Jan. 24 on if they will proceed with the project with only the provincial funding, or not.
Coun. Rob Balay, who also chairs the Multiplex society, said the second grant is contingent on getting the first one.
“It’s a matching grant,” Balay said. “In order to give in writing that we will go through with the grant even if we do not do the second one, that then changes the funding formula from $26,000 to more than $100,000.”
Interim chief administrative officer Rachel Ramey said they have two motions made by both the town and Athabasca County stating that the grants would have to be matching only.
“I would be very cautious to go back against those two previous motions, because we would need both councils to rescind those motions and put in a pair of new ones,” Ramey explained. “Even if we hear back from the ICIP, we would still have to apply for the grant as we originally only sent an expression of interest. That still doesn’t say we get the money, and that still does not make the MCCAC happy enough to give us the AMSP grant money.”
She also confirmed that Balay has sent a letter to Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock MLA Glenn van Dijken to express ARMS’ concerns regarding the red tape around the application of grants to each level of government.
Coun. Mike Arychuk moved at the Town of Athabasca council’s regular meeting Jan. 21 that council accept the information regarding the grants for the Multiplex Solar Project as information, while Coun. Dave Pacholok also moved that council bring forward the communication issues between the Alberta and Federal governments when applying for grants during their Feb. 11 meeting with van Dijken. Both motions were carried.
