The Victoriaville Mall won’t see any extra funds to help with duct cleaning.
Six of the ten councillors voted in favour of eliminating $30,000 from the 2021 budget to help cleaners with air quality initiatives at the aging building. At Large Councillor Aldo Ruberto didn’t participate in the vote due to a declared conflict.
“I just don’t understand what’s going on,” says a frustrated Northwood Councillor Shelby Ch’ng. “For the last twelve years, Victoriaville Mall has come forward and asked for $30,000 to cover the same five issues. We gave you the money last year to get the cleaning done, I was told by administration that it wasn’t done because of the COVID-19 [pandemic] but now I’m being told that some of it got done.”
City Manager Norm Gale, ahead of the vote Tuesday night, reminded council that representatives from the Mall would be involved in Thursday’s meeting to answer any further questions.
“We are in the middle of a pandemic where a virus potentially moves through air and air quality!” notes Current River Ward Councillor Andrew Foulds. “I think it’s incumbent on us to make sure that if people are in that building, spending the $30,000 to ensure that the air is a little cleaner is a good investment and the right thing to do from a public health perspective.”
The vote isn’t final as council can choose to do a re-vote before the budget is ratified next month.
