Town of Pincher Creek council approves up to $60,000 for Lebel Mansion elevator

Toni Lucas - Council for the Town of Pincher Creek held a regular meeting on Monday, May 14 in council chambers. Pincher Creek Allied Arts Council (PCAAC) Executive Director Stacey McRae approached council as a delegation to ask if they could get a letter of support required the next day. They are hoping to get matching funding to complete the project they have had in the works for years, the addition of an elevator in the Lebel Mansion building. The letter is for a grant they are asking from Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP). The elevator has been planned to be in the back half of the building and help those with mobility issues and to make the building a more accessible public building.

McRae explained the cost of the addition to the building is projected to be just under $140,000. The Allied Arts Council has $15,000 set aside for the project and she asked the council for a commitment of $60,000 to the project so they would have over half of the funds required to do the job.  Then if CFEP approves, they would cover up to the remaining half of the associated costs. McRae further requested if the decision to approve the letter was taken, the contributing balance from the Town of Pincher Creek be stated in the letter to CFEP.

CAO Laurie Wilgosh explained later in the meeting if council approved, there were funds had already been approved and set aside for the project and they could come out of the Capital Investment Fund. Council approved the request, with the friendly amendment that the Town request the MD of Pincher Creek be notified of the situation and asked to invest in half of the cost requested to the Town, if they are not approached by PCAAC for the funds themselves.

Council voted unanimously to directed administration to write the letter,  to approve the $60,000 funding request, and make the MD of Pincher Creek aware of the situation.