It looks like the Barrhead Regional Aquatics Centre will keep its name a little longer.
Town of Barrhead councillors instructed administration to schedule a meeting between them and the local Elks club executive to discuss ways they could recognize the service club for their financial contributions towards the aquatic centre.
In late January, administration brought forward a proposal from the local Elks chapter who said they would donate $150,000 to the Barrhead and District Agrena Society’s fundraising efforts, which went towards the construction cost of the $12.178 million facility, in exchange for the 25-year naming rights of the building.
This is on top of the $100,000 the service club donated in September 2016 in exchange for the 10-year naming rights of the facility’s competition pool.
When the donations are added together it automatically put them into the category for the naming rights of the facility.
Council decided to delay the decision to the Feb. 13 meeting so administration could confirm details with the Elks, such as the exact phrasing of the name.
At that meeting councillors voted once again to delay making a decision until administration could come up with an estimate of the costs involved in making the name change.
Chief administrative officer Martin Taylor said staff estimates the costs to change the facility’s name to the ‘Barrhead Elks Regional Aquatics Centre’ is estimated to be $15,640.
Included in the costs is a 15 per cent contingency fee, which Taylor said would be used to light the sign, which is something the Elks requested.
Coun. Ty Assaf asked why administration’s recommendation is to schedule a meeting with the Elks rather than approving the name change.
“Originally we heard an astronomical number, something like $70,000. Fifteen thousand is fair and reasonable to do a sign change, so why do we need a meeting before we make the change?” he asked.
At the Feb. 13 meeting, Coun. Don Smith used a $50,000 figure saying until administration staff investigated what was all involved in changing the sign outside the facility they really wouldn’t know how much it would really be.
“At the last meeting [Jan. 23] we heard that engineers would have to be involved and they don’t come at a cheap price. So what looks like a simple name change to our facility ends up a $50,000 touch?” Smith commented on Feb. 13.
Mayor Dave McKenzie said during council’s budget retreat, for which Assaf was not in attendance, they discussed additional options in which the town could recognize the service club’s contribution.
He added this is in addition to the naming rights of the facility which council is still considering.
