Timeline gone for fall rink completion

With no decision made on the second ice facility at Monday night’s council meeting, the chance of having it completed for this fall are next to none, Administration and Finance manager Darryl Allan admitted.
But it’s not a matter of “humming and hawing,” stressed Coun. David Bourgeault–it’s about fiscal responsibility.
A committee of the whole meeting is set for tomorrow to priorize the town’s capital budgets for the fiscal year, with the second arena being one of the more looming ones on the list.
But that means the soonest council will be making a decision will be at its next regular meeting May 10, Allan said, well beyond the late April construction start both it and project manager Brian Avis were talking about just last month.
“The timelines that the lowest bidder had was completion in 51 weeks,” Allan remarked. “Their timelines are based on availability of structural materials
“They’re looking at ways they can shorten that up [but] to say there would be anything ready for the upcoming season doesn’t seem likely,” he added.
But Coun. Bourgeault stressed there’s a bigger issue to this project than the proposed timelines–cost.
“I awoke Saturday morning to a news report [on the radio] which gave information of the ice facility project where it has been pared down from $7.1 million to $6.8 million, and that several councillors were not on board and humming and hawing,” Coun. Bourgeault said during Monday night’s council meeting.
“The realistic figure that needs to be on the street is $7.7 million,” he said, noting architect fees, GST, and other costs have to be added on to the $6.8 million figure.
“And we don’t have $6.8 million,” Coun. Bourgeault continued. “We have $5.5 million, meaning there would be a difference of $2.2 million [on debenture].
“And if we’re talking debenture, it’s borrowing money from a lending source of up to $2.2 million,” he added, noting money already had been borrowed ($2.5 million) to make up part of the $5.5 million.
“I want people to know the exact dollar amounts and where we are,” Coun. Bourgeault said. “‘Humming and hawing’ aren’t the words I’d use. The words I would us are ‘fiscal responsibility.’”
Coun. Deane Cunningham, who chaired Monday night’s meeting in the absence of Mayor Glenn Witherspoon, explained that $2.5 million for the rink was out of a $4.7 million debenture for all capital projects this year.
He said some councillors were “reluctant” to go to tender with the $6.8 million estimate they were given but did so since they were told tenders would come in lower.
Unfortunately that didn’t happen, he said.
“I have no problem building an ice surface if it falls within that $5.5 million budget figure,” he noted.
Coun. Sharon Tibbs said many variables have come up since the town started striving towards a second ice surface, including a desire to keep Memorial Arena running and the fact the first tender was awarded to someone who couldn’t be bonded for the whole amount of the project.
But she noted when this crusade started, the people of this community seemed to have wanted two major improvements overall–build an auditorium and a second ice surface.
“This is something we have to decide very seriously,” Coun. Tibbs said. “I can tell you that I’m getting up here in years and I want to make sure that we’re gong to have facilities to attract people to live here so they will take care of me.
“I may not be a user [of the ice rink] but I know if I commit myself to this project, I know the people who live in this community will appreciate it,” she said.
“I will do my best to find that money without raising taxes.”