A few weeks ago, in our Jan. 31 editorial and our poll question, we asked whether it was time for the Town of Barrhead to consider a two-tiered payment fee schedule for the use of its major recreation facilities, i.e. Agrena, curling club, and the soon-to-be completed aquatic centre.
We posed the question, not because we believed the town should actually adopt the policy, but to begin the discussion, which could possibly lead to a solution.
In the end, 137 people responded to the inquiry with 54.0 per cent in favour, 43.1 against and 2.9 undecided.
This week, to continue the discussion on a process that on the face of it seems to be stalled, we want to throw out an idea that the newsroom has discussed on occasion.
Currently the town and county, through its joint Fire Services Committee, are in the process of coming up with a new fire services agreement. Basically, the agreement as it stands, is essentially that the town and county share the fixed costs, such as training, equipment, office staff and fulltime firefighters equally with each municipality being responsible for the costs of the fire department responding in its respective borders. The town’s portion of paying for these costs come from, as we understand it, residents’ property taxes, while the fire department bills the county on a cost-recovery per-service. As the majority of responses are within the county they have bore the brunt of the department’s costs of these calls.
On Feb. 28, town Coun. Don Smith during his fire services report to council, suggested whatever the final agreement is, a 50/50 split of these callouts would be unlikely because the town would be shouldering the costs for services provided to county residents.
Certainly understandable, but what if the county were to agree to up its contribution of the area’s recreation operating costs to close to, if not the equal split the town has been wanting, from last year’s 14 per cent on the provision that the town would split evenly the cost of operating the fire department across the board?
Would the two municipalities be finally able to come to the long elusive recreation agreement?
Probably not.
If you use the numbers the Fire Services Committee provided in its report to the joint councils in December where the fire department projected $120,000 of its operating revenue coming from calls in the county. This is compared to only $20,000 from responses in the town. When you consider the operating deficit for the Agrena is pegged at more than $400,000 and when the aquatic centre comes on line the town’s recreational operating will increase that much more, it is worth putting it on the table as a potential starting point, assuming councils haven’t already discussed it. What do you think?
