About 60 residents of the Dunstable area showed up at Dunstable School March 6 for the County of Barrhead’s public information meeting regarding the new swimming pool’s plebiscite question.
This was the first of three scheduled meetings to provide information and discussion opportunities prior to the voting day March 24.
The plebiscite question reads, “Are you in favour of the County of Barrhead No. 11 borrowing a maximum of $5 million dollars for the purpose of providing a maximum $5 million dollar contribution to the Town of Barrhead for the Town’s construction of a swimming pool?”
County manager Mark Oberg explained the financial implications of borrowing, including how the future tax levies of landowners in the County could be affected.
The County does have $11 million in reserve, he said, however they will borrow because those reserve dollars have been saved for particular projects.
“When the pool question came up, and really we need to be borrowing money in order to support this, that’s a big change in the way we do things,” said Oberg. “We hadn’t saved money for a pool.”
Reeve Bill Lee said County council felt residents should still be provided with the same services they are accustomed to. Instead of taking money out of projects already planned, he said, council decided to borrow the money.
“Why the $5 million? After talking to the auditor and our financial people, $5 million was the maximum we should borrow if we’re going to borrow,” explained Lee. “That’s one third of our borrowing limit.”
Because the plebiscite is not legally binding, many of the residents at the meeting had concern as to whether their opinion mattered at all.
Some questioned, why bother doing the plebiscite? If the vote resulted in 60 per cent No, would councilors still go ahead and borrow the money?
Coun. Darrell Troock said when he was elected, he hoped people trusted him with decision. However this one is really big, which is why his ears are open to the opinion of County residents.
“I’m going to be really torn if it’s 51 per cent either way,” said Troock. “That means 49 per cent of the population is [unhappy with] us. I’m really hoping it’s overwhelming.”
Troock added if the vote is 60 percent to 40 per cent, he would follow what the residents voted for.
There was a difference of opinion among the residents who attended the meeting regarding the plebiscite question.
On one end of the spectrum sat Pamela Laing. The Dunstable resident with children heavily involved with aquatics said she doesn’t think $5 million is enough for a new pool.
“It’s a pool for us to swim in and compete in, it’s a hot tub for the seniors, and it’s a play area for the little duffers,” she said. “If you take out the hot tub and the activity area, well then you’ve gone backwards. The old pool we just condemned had a hot tub and it had a zero entry pool for the little ones. So what do we gain?”
This has put Laing in a difficult position regarding her vote on the plebiscite.
“It’s not cut and dry for me,” said Laing. “If I say yes I support it, I limit them on what I want them to spend. If I say no, then I don’t support the pool. How do I vote yes or no?”
High Ridge resident Bernadette Nikkel said she doesn’t see how a person couldn’t vote yes on the plebiscite. As a parent of children who used Barrhead’s aquatic centre for swimming lessons, swim club and public swimming, she said the town needs a pool.
“Voting no is shortsighted in so many ways. How can we expect our town to grow if we don’t have something like a swimming pool?” Said Nikkel. “I would really hope that all the yes voters are out to vote and show their support, because I would hate the town to not have a pool.”
Nikkel added she didn’t feel she had the right to disagree with the presented aquatic centre concepts because she wasn’t involved in the planning process.
“I can’t complain about the pool being what it is now, when a year ago they were planning and I didn’t show up,” she said. “ I’ve given up my right, in my opinion, to say yes or no by not being involved.”
Joan Card from Dunstable is concerned about how much the new facility is going to cost to run. Though not against a pool in Barrhead, she said she thinks the pool concept presented is too much for Barrhead.
“This pool is too much for the population base. If they’re going to build a pool, build something within reason that the County and the Town can afford,” said Card. “I’m in full agreement with a pool, but not this one.”
Card didn’t use Barrhead’s pool facility herself, but said she would support it 100 per cent if the new aquatic centre was within reason. The pool isn’t going to make the money they need to run the facility, she said, so she will be voting no on the plebiscite.
“I already pay outrageous taxes in the county,” said Card. “To add $200 more, what it’s going to cost me per year, pretty soon they’re going to tax me right out of Barrhead county because I won’t be able to afford it.”
Dunstable resident Lindsay Gordon said he will be voting no on the plebiscite as well, because he doesn’t think this aquatic centre is worth it.
“For our population here this is out of control,” said Gordon. “We do not have enough people in the county of Barrhead to support it.”
Cyryl Gravel from Dunstable added his concern about facility upkeep and maintenance.
“They couldn’t look after the old one. How are they going to look after this new one?” questioned Gravel. “When you build a place like that there’s a lot of maintenance to it. How will they pay for that maintenance?”
The remaining two public information meetings are scheduled for March 10 at Summerdale Hall, and March 14 at Mellowdale Hall.
