A plan is being developed to improve downtown Port Elgin.
Saugeen Shores Council is backing a recommendation brought forth by Development Coordinator Jay Pausner of a Community Improvement Plan.
CIP is a document under the Planning Act outlining a municipality’s approach to improving a section of their community.
That document will determine whether the Town will receive provincial funding for the upgrades.
Pausner says they needed Council’s support last night (MON) in order to proceed in forming a committee which is the next step in the CIP.
He says when the province is reviewing applications for funding they usually give it to those that had developed a Council supported CIP.
Pausner says they had looked at other communities with similar issues and found out that those who were successful in getting funding from the province had a CIP in place.
Pausner’s report to Council listed some reasons for improvements to the downtown area but he says the focus of downtown Port Elgin came from their ad-hoc committee.
He says the public will have the opportunity to offer their suggestions at future meetings as to what else to include whether it would be adding downtown Southampton or the waterfront to the mix.
The cost of the CIP is 30 thousand dollars and Pausner says half of that will be covered through development charges and the rest through the tax base.
