A commentary by two members of Victoria council.

Last month, Victoria city council made the difficult decision to redeploy, for community safety priorities, some of the funds allocated toward two projects that have received grants from the province: facility upgrades at Royal Athletic Park (RAP) and infrastructure upgrades at Centennial Square.

Council chose to immediately act on a plan that is meant to address street disorder on Pandora Avenue and across downtown. This plan builds upon the Community Safety and Well-being Plan, and focuses on short-term results.

Street disorder is an urgent community priority, and the funding for the plan must come from somewhere. Council got creative and pulled together resources for a plan that can materially improve the safety and well-being of the community.

The funds will go toward innovative sheltering solutions (outside of downtown, residential areas and parks), improved enforcement of city bylaws, public works investments, street rehabilitation and other components of the plan.

Both the RAP and the Centennial projects will move ahead, albeit with revised scopes and budgets.

At RAP, $1.5 million of the $8.3 million grant will be ­redirected toward street........

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