• The Town of Sidney’s 2015 grant-in-aid budget has been increased to $13,600. A $600 item for an RCMP regional youth police camp was removed from the policing budget and added to the grants amount for this year.
At the same time, council has given out $12,500 in grants-in-aid to various commuity groups. Those include $4,000 to the Sidney and Peninsula Literary Festival and $1,500 to Access Awareness Day (hosted by Beacon Community Services).
Sidney has $1,100 remaining in its grants fund for this year.
• The municipality will start using Facebook and Twitter soon. Council approved a new social media policy and staff have been tasked with determining the monitoring and content protocols.
• Sidney plans to spend $135,000 on sidewalk and park improvements along First Street, calling it the Gateway sidewalk project.
The existing sidewalk will be replaced with interlocking pavers and trees added from the Washington State ferry terminal to the Waterfront Walkway access.
