Motorists will help pay for the Waitaki Guardians, a community group that patrols the Oamaru central business precinct and helps at events throughout the district.
Parking meter charges will rise 10c an hour to go towards the Waitaki District Council's $40,000 contribution to the group in the next financial year.
In addition, the council will pay $20,000 for one camera, part of closed circuit television (CCTV) coverage in Oamaru planned by a community group to increase security and identify offenders.
In the past, the council has contributed $50,000 to the Guardians, which provides added late-night security in central Oamaru, assistance to people and visitors, liaison with police and helps defuse situations.
The contribution has come from the business rate, in recognition of the benefit to businesses. However, yesterday Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said the benefit was far wider, to the whole community, and he felt there should be a $10,000 contribution met from a source other than the business rate.
The council decided when it was setting its charges for the next financial year to increase parking fees by 10c an hour, which would raise an estimated $10,000.
The other $30,000 would still come from the business rate. The one camera for the proposed CCTV system was a starting point to obtain funding for a whole system. Some building owners had offered to install it and a community group volunteers, when needed, to man it.
A CCTV system had been proposed in the past, but was too costly then to provide proper coverage.
Advances in technology, along with a price reduction in equipment, had now made it more affordable, community services manager Thunes Cloete said.
However, while the contribution was supported, some councillors were concerned about the ongoing cost in depreciation and maintenance when the council took ownership of the system.
Cr Kathy Dennison said councillors were being asked to approve the grant without knowing the ongoing cost, while Cr Jim Hopkins suggested a trust, instead of the council, could take ownership.
