Loading...
The Citizen, 2011-04-28, Page 8PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2011.Sports Karate kids Members of Bak’s Martial Arts dojo in Brussels competed in the Canadian Naha-Te Ryu Karate Championships. Back row, from left: Jessica Johnston; Gayle Prout, women’s orange belt, first place in kumite (point sparring) and third place in kata (empty hand forms); Karen Freeman, women’s white/yellow belt, first place in kata, second place in kumite; Annie Prout, Senior white/yellow/orange belt, first place in kata and first place in kobudo (weapons); Johanna Blake, Intermediate orange belt, first place in kumite and third place in kata and Jonathan Blake, Senior white/yellow/orange belt, second place in kumite and second place in kata. Front row, from left: Kameron Reay, PeeWee white belt, second place in kumite; Cole Terpstra, Junior white/yellow belt, first place in kata and second place in kumite; Seth McCauley, Intermediate white/yellow belt and second place in kumite; Dylan Prout; Colin Barbour and Emily Terpstra. (Photo submitted) Huron East Council authorized $20,000 to be paid to the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre from the municipality’s parkland reserve for various maintenance issues raised at council’s April 19 meeting. The funding, however, did not come without discussion and a few knuckles being rapped for the request coming to council after the budget process had essentially been completed. There was notable frustration from treasurer Brad Knight, who had spent months tweaking the final draft of the budget that had been presented to council just before the presentation from the centre’s facilities manager Abi Corbett. Knight said that while council had considered the requests necessary, it was irresponsible to begin throwing money at these problems with no regard as to where the money would come from. Over the course of the discussion, options considered were to take the money out of unrestricted reserves, the equipment reserve (for a new Olympia ice-cleaning machine) the general tax levy (which would result in a slight bump in taxes) and the recreation board’s own reserves. The parkland reserve, however, was what council finally settled on. The $20,000 is two thirds of the funding requested by Corbett and the board, the remaining third will come from $10,000 that had already been allotted to the board for capital expenditures in the 2011 budget. The “grocery list” of building maintenance issues, as Mayor Bernie MacLellan put it, included an order from the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) to fill the pit in the centre’s Olympia room ($11,000), new doors for the east end of the auditorium ($7,700), electrical issues in the auditorium ($2,500), new tables ($3,000), a new sound system for the auditorium ($3,000) and the replacement of door knobs and exterior door locks ($2,600). In addition, repairs to the floor were listed, but because no final figure had been decided upon, and early estimates hinted at a potentially large number, it was not included with the other items. While funding for the entire list was approved, some councillors felt that some of the items on the list were far more important than others. Everyone was in agreement that the TSSA order would need to be met, and that, as that was an unforeseen circumstance, the municipality should foot the bill for it. However, issues like the sound system and new tables were items that some councillors felt should fall under the fundraising umbrella. Grey Councillor Alvin McLellan said that when a new refrigerator or a new stove is needed at the Cranbrook Hall, card parties are held and money is raised, sometimes for months or even years. He said he still felt there was a place for fundraising at the community centres. Several councillors sympathized with Corbett and her team, however, saying that recreation boards are asked to pinch pennies year after year and several things needing serious repairs at the same time is the result of such a system. Corbett said that while several of the maintenance issues were overdue, it would be nice to have them completed for the upcoming season, should the amalgamation process between the Blyth and Brussels Minor Hockey Associations be concluded. “We’re dealing with a 30-year-old set of problems here,” said Brussels Councillor and board representative David Blaney. “A lot of these problems should have been dealt with years ago.” While Councillor Bill Siemon agreed with many of the statements made throughout the night in favour of the centre, he too felt that the request had come too late in the budget process and he was also worried about what kind of message this would send to other municipal recreation centres. “So if anything’s needed for a recreation centre, just come to council and we’ll pay for it?” he asked. “We’ll find the reserves and pay for it. This is why we have a committee.” Councillor Larry McGrath, however, spoke in favour of the maintenance work, saying that community centres were largely the result of fundraised dollars from the community and the municipality has been entrusted to run them and keep them in good shape. “If the building is owned by the municipality, it’s open every day, there are people in it every day, then it should be fixed,” he said. “The floor should have never got to that point.” McGrath cited the one item on the list that did not have a dollar figure attached to it. Corbett cited that the floor on the arena side of the centre has pieces of tile missing, creating a safety hazard. Corbett said that further research would have to take place on the floor, as there are several options to consider, but that the floor would be the biggest ticket item on the list, with an early estimate coming in at six figures, and a second estimate coming in at five figures. The floor, however, will be considered at a future meeting when costs have been detailed and broken down and several options are available for council to consider. When Knight was asked for his thoughts, however, he said he “despised” a funding request coming to council this late in the budget process. He said that council would be setting a precedent that municipal community centres should be able to come to council with a list of immediate needs and expect it to get taken care of. “What happens at the next meeting when someone from the Seaforth Community Centre or the Vanastra Recreation Centre is here with a list two pages long?” Knight asked. A motion was then made to authorize payment for the maintenance costs from the centre’s own reserves. Blaney said he disagreed with this suggestion, saying that it would be an unnecessary motion that would allow the board to “spend its own money” which he said is something the board doesn’t need council’s permission to do. That motion was defeated and replaced by a new motion to fund the $30,000 with $20,000 from the parkland reserve with the remaining $10,000 coming from the centre’s capital portion of the 2011 budget. After nearly two hours of discussion a motion was put on the floor, but not before Brussels Councillor Joe Seili expressed his sympathy for Corbett and the board, and any other group that would come to Huron East to request funding. “I wouldn’t come and ask this council for anything after what you’ve put these people through,” Seili said. “If you can’t give them $20,000 out of a $40 million budget, what the heck are we doing here?” The motion to approve the funding was carried with a tie vote and MacLellan voting in favour of the motion to break the tie. After the motion had been passed, council asked Corbett to approach Morris-Turnberry Council with the same list she had presented to Huron East Council in hopes that they would be inclined to contribute their historical portion when it comes to the Brussels, Morris Grey Community Centre, which is 20 per cent. Should Morris-Turnberry contribute 20 per cent of the cost ($4,000 of the $20,000 total), then the withdrawal from the Huron East parkland reserve would simply be reduced from $20,000 to $16,000. By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen ANYONE INTERESTED IN PLAYING Brussels Men’s Town League Slow Pitch 19 and over Contact: Jeff 519-887-9790 or Mike 519-887-6449 League starts May 24th REPRINTS OF PHOTOS taken by Citizen photographers are available to purchase. ALL ARE IN COLOUR 4x6 - $4.00 5x7 - $5.00 8x10 - $8.00 Phone to order ~ 519-523-4792 or 519-887-9114 Council gives $20,000 to BMG Community Centre Olympia machine on last legs During the course of a lengthy presentation and discussion surrounding maintenance issues at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre at the April 19 meeting of Huron East Council, the purchase of a new Olympia ice- cleaning machine was also considered. Abi Corbett from the centre appeared to council with a list of maintenance needs in Brussels, but when asked, she also provided an update on the centre’s 19-year-old Olympia, which has a list of problems on its own, requiring over $20,000 in repairs to get it running for the 2011 hockey season. While no official decision was made on the Olympia, there was plenty of discussion and a report will be coming to council from the community centre board as early as council’s next meeting on May 3. Corbett said there were at least 10 items that needed repair on the current machine. She said the water tank is leaking and needs to be replaced, the augers need to be sharpened or replaced, there is an exhaust leak, the conditioner needs to be rebuilt, it needs a new seat, the runners need to be replaced, it needs new tires, there is an antifreeze leak, the hydraulics need to be checked and the bottom side of the machine needs a new paint job. She said that the aforementioned repairs would cost $19,000 plus HST with no guarantee that the machine would even work for the upcoming hockey season. The cost of a new Olympia, while it would have to go through the tendering process, was approximately $76,000 plus HST. The current Olympia would also net By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Continued on page 9