The municipality will commit up to $80,000 to enter into a partnership agreement for the construction of a lakeside trail.
The resolution was approved at a special meeting of municipal council late Monday afternoon.
The partnership agreement with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is for a proposed trail which will eventually link many Okanagan communities.
In a message to municipal administrator Tom Day, ministry representatives said the ministry was prepared to jointly fund the project with the municipality, based on the preliminary design cost estimates of around $500,000 for the 1.1-kilometre section of the pathway between the community beach areas and Lakeshore Drive.
Municipal staff will prepare the required budget amendment with the municipality’s portion of the funding to come from the Parks and Trail Systems reserve.
The reserve has around $193,000, but $70,000 for trail repair and improvements earlier this year has not yet come out of the reserve funding.
Coun. Martin Van Alphen said the money in the reserve fund is allocated for parks and trail upgrades.
By entering a partnership agreement with the province, the municipality will encourage other communities to add to the trail work.
“If we invest $100,000 in this trail system, it’s going to wake up the rest of the Okanagan,” he said. “It’s going to spur more interest in this project.”
Others at the council table had concerns about the project.
Coun. Robert Hacking said the money in the reserve fund is for projects such as the trail.
“We don’t even know what the whole project is going to cost,” said Coun. Lloyd Christopherson.
He added that the proposed trail is an exciting project.
Coun. Bruce Hallquist had concerns because of earlier comments made by members of council.
He said that in the past, some of the members of the present council had stated that the trail would be constructed without taxpayer money.
“We made these statements at this table,” he said.
Hallquist added that the proposal came to council quickly, for a project which does not have urgency. “In my mind, it isn’t that important to the whole community,” he said.
Mayor Janice Perrino said the partnership with the province can make the trail proposal a reality.
“This is about being leaders,” she said. “The money is there. It’s designated for trails. If this is what it takes to be leaders in the field, let’s do it.”
The resolution was approved unanimously.
The proposed trail would be suitable for pedestrians and cyclists.
Organizers have said a valley-wide trail could serve as a tourism draw for Summerland and other Okanagan community.
At present, there has been interest in the trail from numerous communities in the Okanagan.
