Dear Editor,
The time to vote on the pool the Town of Barrhead proposes is tomorrow. Regardless of which way you intend to vote, please vote.
Plan Forward doesn’t have the budget for flashy ads to change your mind or encourage questions. The pamphlets that were distributed were funded by us passing the hat around and were sent out with the best of intentions. We want a pool, we have always wanted a pool. What we question is this pool’s design, the lack of a business plan, the poorly formed operational budget and the lack of transparency from our Municipal Government.
Before this important vote, there are a few things our group would like to remind everyone of.
At the information meetings a member of Town Council stated that if there is a “no” vote, the construction of a pool will be delayed another 3 to 4 years. We ask that you think about this. A “No” vote would reflect the citizen’s wishes – it would signify that they do not support what the Council is proposing. In the case of a ‘No’ vote, the responsibility of the Council would then be to put forward a proposal for a swimming pool which would receive the support of the citizens.
The Council has stated that they would be required to go back to square one with open houses, citizen surveys, etc. However, as they have taken one of the top three requested components out of the current design (the diving board), we do not believe Council has put much consideration into these surveys to begin with. The current channel was ranked much lower, yet it remains in the current pool plan at a great expense in comparison to the diving board.
The Mayor has stated that any new proposal for a borrowing bylaw would require a substantial change from the Council’s current proposal for the $5 million dollar borrowing bylaw. For the Council to be of the opinion that they would have to go back to square one does not seem reasonable, rational or sensible. In our opinion, a reduction of 20% to 25% ($3.5 to $4 million dollar borrowing and a project to reflect that requirement) would be sufficient and reasonable in the eyes of the provincial laws that municipalities are required to adhere to. Part of this reduction could be made with a reduction to the fundraising component.
The Arena’s fundraising efforts have been amazing! $350,000 has already been raised but this is not even close to meeting the required $1.5 million stipulated in the bylaw. To offset the operating cost and realize projected revenue targets, the Recreation and Parks department stated that 50,000 patrons will be needed a year. That equals to 137 a day at 365 days a year! What if there are only 20,000 patrons? Is there a contingency plan in place if it occurs that the projected 50,000 patrons number needed is not met?
We all want a pool, but this pool is NOT the pool needed for this community. We want to pay it forward with a facility that can be sustained by this community. We want a facility that can still leave money for other projects that this town desperately needs. A pool is a want, it is not a need and this perspective should be addressed in regards to how much taxpayer money should go towards this pool not just in terms of building costs but also yearly expenses going forward into the future.
We should not settle for, “well the town has finally agreed to build a pool, we better just agree with what they say or they won’t build one.”
We believe our community deserves better.
We believe revisiting some of the aspects of this project is prudent.
We believe trying to get a lower quote from Clark Builders due to current economic realities could save the taxpayers money.
It is our responsibility as town taxpayers to hold our elected officials to account
We are asking that as town residents, we put democracy to work and demonstrate to the elected officials of this town that we want a pool that Barrhead can afford to build and maintain without sacrificing the future needs of this place we call home.
Sincerely,
Vince Wiese and the Plan Forward Group
