South Huron moves forward with new recreation centre/community hub

SouthWesternOntario.ca
Nov. 29, 2017
Scott Nixon

In a major decision years in the making, South Huron council voted last week to move forward with a new recreation centre/community hub and has committed $7.5 million toward the project.

The motion passed at the Nov. 20 council meeting commits the municipality to the construction of a new facility within the next five years, with $7.5 million to be debt financed for the project. The municipality hopes to raise another $5 million through fundraising, sponsorships and grants.

$12.5 million is an estimate for the new facility that was discussed at the meeting, while $7.5 million represents the amount the municipality is willing to debt finance for it.

Voting in favour were Mayor Maureen Cole, Deputy Mayor David Frayne and councillors Craig Hebert, Ted Oke and Wayne DeLuca. Voting against the motion were councillors Marissa Vaughan and Tom Tomes, who both represent the Stephen Ward.

The motion passed on Nov. 20 also states that chief administrative officer Dan Best will proceed with the development of a request for proposal for a feasibility study for the project and that Best hold talks with the YMCA to determine that organization’s “level of interest and commitment for the community hub/recreation project and follow up with a report to council.”

Chief administrative officer Best presented his report on the new rec centre/community hub to council, followed by a discussion of more than an hour in length, culminating in the 5-2 vote to proceed. The decision comes after the municipality held four public meetings in the fall on what to do with its recreation facilities. As previously reported, council recently decided to move forward with a $1.7 million project to revitalize the Exeter outdoor pool, including a new washroom/change room facility.

The new facility in question would be a single ice pad with a community centre and walking track, and a feasibility study will look at the possibility of adding a second pad and indoor pool in future phases. What’s still to be decided is what exactly a “community hub” will entail.

After making his presentation to council last week, Best said it was time for council to decide whether or not the municipality was moving ahead with the project.

Mayor Maureen Cole pointed out that there have been many plans and studies done on the rec centre since 2009, through three different chief administrative officers and two councils. She noted the municipality’s strategic plan identifies the improvement of recreation facilities as the No. 1 priority.

Best’s report also included preliminary numbers on what impact debt financing $7.5 million for the project would have on South Huron taxpayers. The information shows that a residential property assessed at $230,000 would see an annual tax increase of $82.36 or, as Cole said, “The cost of filling up a tank of gas.”

She echoed Best’s statements that it was time for council to make a decision.

During council discussion, there were several expressions of concern about the cost of the project. Deputy Mayor David Frayne said he felt that a feasibility study should be done before council made any “high-priced decisions” on the project, a thought that would be echoed by other councillors during the meeting, although the project was eventually approved.

Frayne also expressed concern with how the debt financing would impact the tax bills on farm properties.

Coun. Craig Hebert spoke in favour of moving forward with the project as long as the municipality set an upside limit, which it did when it committed $7.5 million. He said the feasibility study the municipality will embark on will indicate to South Huron what it can afford to include in the project. He noted the project steering committee, which was appointed by council last week, will help council during the process. He also described the $7.5-million figure as a reasonable amount.

Best’s report included information on South Huron’s debt load, and the fact it now has a long-term debt of just over $22 million. He said there’s only so much the municipality can borrow, and he recommended borrowing a maximum of $7.5 million for the new facility. He also said the project will only work if it’s a partnership with the community, and he has spoken of a $5-million fundraising campaign for the project. He said the feasibility study will determine the scope of the project.

While he ultimately voted in favour of the project, DeLuca spoke of the importance of building a facility that was not only affordable to construct, but one that would have affordable operating costs in the long term. He said he supported a maximum debenture of $7.5 million for the project.

He later said council has to be careful when spending ratepayers’ dollars. While the desire was expressed for some in the community for an indoor pool, DeLuca noted that the Pyramid Centre in St. Marys, which consists of an indoor pool, has a greater than $600,000 annual deficit.

DeLuca also said the issue of recreation facilities has been divisive in the community. He said the municipality has to get the community back together.

And regarding the “community hub” aspect of the new facility, DeLuca said he isn’t exactly sure what that is and expressed concern with going ahead without knowing what it is.

Best said there have been no decisions yet on the hub and the feasibility study will help determine that, as well as the steering committee, which will provide recommendations to council.

Oke asked whether or not the committee will be looking at the possibility of adding a second ice pad eventually to the new facility and closing another facility. He said efficiencies could be found in operating the municipality’s two pads in one location (the other arena in South Huron being in Huron Park).

Best responded that the municipality shouldn’t want to negate any potential option. He said everything should be looked at, but decisions have to be made in the best interest of the community and the ratepayers.

Another decision left for council is where the new facility will be built and whether or not the municipality will have to buy land. Tomes said buying property is expensive and there are already petitions in the community that speak out against the hub.

Tomes said he has supported recreation up to this point, but very few people from his ward (Stephen) want a “mega centre.” Instead, he said they’d likely go along with a “fix up” to the rec centre.

“I think it’s going to be a tough sell,” Tomes said of a new facility, adding there has already been a lot of fundraising in the community. He said he is unsure if $5 million can be raised from the public.

Vaughan, who would vote against the motion, said she’s heard no support from anyone who wants the new facility. She said she’s heard comments from the public that the municipality needs to live within its means and that hockey is on the decline. Vaughan said she had questions such as what the ongoing operating and energy costs of the facility would be. She said her ward (Stephen) has already paid a lot into infrastructure in recent years.

She emphasized the fact that she wanted to see a feasibility study done before making a decision to move ahead with the project. She said she has supported recreation in the past, but wasn’t prepared to commit $7.5 million toward a project until she saw a feasibility study.

Vaughan later asked how long it would take to do the feasibility study, and Best said they typically take about six months. While there was some discussion among councillors about doing the feasibility study before committing to the project, they ultimately voted 5-2 in favour of moving ahead. The feasibility study will be part of the project and Best said the study will establish a business plan.

During the discussion Cole said the longer council put off making a decision, the more it would suggest that they were stalling. She also said it reminded her of the previous term of council, which discussed and held talks about upgraded recreation facilities, but ultimately shelved the plans.

After a lengthy discussion, council voted to move forward with the project and commit $7.5 million toward it. Cole thanked councillors for their work on the project, and later told the Times-Advocate she is pleased the new facility will be a community project. She said now that there’s a financial commitment from the local government, it allows South Huron to move forward and look for funds from the upper levels of government.

Steering committee appointed

Council also appointed members of the public who will sit on the community hub/recreation centre project steering committee. Named to the committee were Brandon Babbage, Craig Ivatts, Peter Hrudka, Mike Ondrejicka, Ron Mayer, Dawn Rasenberg and Robert Oud.

Cole thanked the individuals for stepping forward to sit on the committee. She noted all wards within the municipality are represented on the committee.