At the regular meeting of county council on Tuesday, a member of the group Making Waves – Yes For Progress, Rita Lyster, asked assembled counsellors to be leaders of the county.
“As a county council, you will leave a legacy of your time in office but will it be a legacy of optimism, growth and forward thinking, will you repair the rift with your partner and move forward, more powerful together?” Lyster asked, and used the analogy of a marriage to describe the relationship between the town and county on the issue at stake. “In a healthy relationship, the one most important aspect is clear and effective communication,” she said, adding that in her view amalgamation was like a divorce and she did not really want to see that.
“On the other hand, if reconciliation is impossible, if both parties are going to stand on their positions and want the other to come their way, then the marriage wont work,” Lyster said. “It’s better then that we let the courts determine who gets the kids, who pays child support, and the dividing of assets. One of the biggest disasters in marriage is triangulation, when one party bickers to others about their partner.”
According to Lyster, in-camera sessions are like that and while it is okay to vent, people have to be respectful and communicate effectively.
“We have to state our feelings and respectfully listen to the response,” she said, adding that if the situation does not change, eventually it will unravel.
“Respect and compromise are paramount, and I propose a new start,” Lyster said. “The group I am a part of, Making Waves – Yes For Progress, is interested in moving forward. We have to learn from the past, however, we have to stop rehashing the past. We need to look at the project before us. Is it good? Will it suit all the needs of the members of our community? Can we afford it?”
Drawing parallels between buying a suit for a wedding and the discussion about the proposed pool that has divided both town and county, Lyster detailed all of the features of the new aquatic centre and what the pros and cons for each were, reminding counsellors that one does not buy the first thing that one sees – the right fit is an essential requirement.
“The team that has worked on the approved design has wittled and worked to come up with a size that is affordable, yet meets the needs of a vibrant community going into the future,” Lyster said. “They have considered many alternatives and made choices to maximize potential for users which translates into income.”
Lyster said to build any less would not make sense and argued that merely replacing what Barrhead already had in the form of the old pool would be a disservice to the community. “We want to increase usership, increase the opportunities for active living in our community 365 days per year,” she said, adding that she hoped the facility would be closed for Christmas and Easter.
According to Lyster, the potential of the proposed aquatic centre extends beyond the obvious benefits to people wishing to learn how to swim and employment opportunities for students and adults alike, including theraputic options for all ages, stages and abilities.
The biggest question in Lyster’s opinion is what it will cost and who should pay for it. “A project of this magnitude cannot be built on the shoulders of volunteers such as the old Kinsmen pool,” she said, adding that already there were many in the community who were committed through time, effort and finance to see the proposed plan come to fruition. “This project is simply too large to expect only businesses to pay into,” she said, adding that while businesses like hers are approached for different things on a daily basis, none of them were millionaires.
“You’ve got to remember we’re building for future generations and they look at things differently than us,” she said. “They put recreation first.”
“I know you have been hesitant to take a stance on this issue and you want rate-payers to make the decision, but remember that these rate-payers look to you for leadership and will follow your example,” Lyster said. “If you waffle and complain about the price, they will do the same.”
Without a pool, Lyster said her business and others like it will have to face some hard decisions in the future. “Whether we downsize or not, it all depends on attracting new people to this area and I know from personal experience in trying to get pharmacists to come to Barrhead, one of the things younger people rate higher more and more is recreation,” she said, adding that if Barrhead does not get a new pool, that means she will probably not have to work as hard and will more than likely downsize her operation.
“My only concern, and I’m talking as a counsellor here, is that we’re not over-estimating the amount of people who are going to be using this pool,” Coun. Darrell Troock said. “The budget that has been advertised is extremely scary to me as a counsellor as to where we’re going to find money to finance this. I know when you start talking about sixty cents a day, it’s okay but we need every man, woman and child to pay that. For a family of eight or nine, now you’re talking hundreds of dollars a month.”
According to Troock, the fear is that while the capital will disappear, the operating budget will always be there. “When you look at what the operating deficit is to what our budget is for borrowing, Rita, I’m really concerned that we are going to see that deficit grow and if it grows, where are we then?” Troock asked. “That’s what scares me.”
Troock said that for every feature proposed in the design for the new pool, there are cheaper alternatives.
“I’ll tell you honestly I have lung troubles, and water for me is a good thing, so I’m looking at a pool or a hot tub for myself at home,” he said. “I’ve looked at wave-circulating pools and at a fairly reasonable price I can put a system in at $8,000 so when I look at the million dollar pools, I wonder if there’s not other options for us.”
According to Troock, everyone on county council is 100 per cent behind a pool, and is on the same side as the town. “We will see how the public feels about it on October 7th,” he said.
