BC Transit will have to reach deeper into its pockets to store busses at a School District 20 lot in Waneta now that a rental renewal has been negotiated.
Rather than paying $1 a year, a “political move” made by the board of the day 10 years ago, the public transit agency will fork over about $46,000 annually for the next five years, SD20 secretary-treasurer Natalie Verigin shared at this week’s regular school board meeting.
The original lease was signed as a 10-year lease with two five-year renewals. The agreement was written essentially as a 20-year lease, with 10 years at $1 and (at the discretion of BC Transit) an opportunity to renew the income clause for two five-year terms to follow.
Longtime trustee Lorraine Manning just about fell off her chair when she was told the lease was 20 years long.
She recalled some nasty meetings around decision-making following the amalgamation of Trail and Castlegar school districts in 1996 but didn’t have a clear memory of details around the maintenance office.
After Trail secured the school board office location, the main maintenance shop was set up in Castlegar and the fairly new Waneta location was rented out.