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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2019-01-31, Page 2PAGE 2. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019. STEVEN NIXON Broker WILFRED MCINTEE & CO. L IMITED Bus: 519-357-2222 Cell: 519-531-0252 Fax: 519-357-4482 Email: nixon@execulink.com Web: www.stevennixon.com 249 Josephine St., WINGHAM, ON N0G 2W0 Serving the area since 1999 355 JOSEPHINE ST., WINGHAM 2500 sq. ft. of prime commercial space for lease in downtown Wingham, former Coffee Culture location (will sub divide into 1000 sq. ft. or 1500 sq. ft. as well). Forced air gas heat, central air conditioning, main street exposure, 24 parking spots. Call for details. Call Steve Nixon 519.357.2222 For L e a s e M-T defers feasibility study request to budget process The committees behind the proposed $4.5 million renovation and expansion to the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre has asked Morris-Turnberry council to support the initiative by approving $25,000 in the Brussels Recreation Committee’s budget to get the project started, but council’s reaction was mixed. The money would go towards hiring Campaign Coaches, a group with local ties, to conduct a feasibility study to determine how much money the fundraising committee could actually raise in Brussels and the surrounding communities. That information would then help the renovation committee to determine which renovations are needed and could be afforded. Nicole Noble, past committee president, spoke to council at its Jan. 22 meeting, asking for the funds to complete the study to figure out what kind of project could be undertaken. “Campaign Coaches [will] interview the community and determine what capacity it is able to donate,” she said. “They will give us a realistic idea of whether the community and surrounding areas can fund $4.5 million.” She said having that information before the committee goes out and starts soliciting funds from the community is vital. Fellow committee member Doug McArter explained that part of their long-term plan was to put a business plan together for the arena to make sure that the money could be used effectively. John Van Vliet, another committee member, explained that, with council’s blessing, the budget for the community centre board would be increased by $25,000, and split up according to the percentages that the municipalities contribute to the centre. Councillor Jim Nelemans asked which percentage of the project would be fundraised, and McArter said he wasn’t sure. Nelemans said that the municipality couldn’t contribute to it because each $50,000 increases the municipality’s budget one per cent, which is then passed on to the taxpayers. Deputy-Reeve Sharen Zinn asked how much a new arena will cost, compared to the $4.5 million price tag presented. Van Vliet said his research had indicated that it would cost between $12 million and $20 million. “We think, at $4 million, that’s not a bad deal to get a building from 1980 standards to today’s standards,” he said. “It’s a complete renovation. Everything is either going to get a coat of paint or be brand new. It’s a state-of-the-art centre for a lot less than a brand new one.” Nelemans asked what the usage in the arena currently is, and McArter said that, with the exception of when the centre is closed on Sundays, it’s a busy centre. McArter also said that several sports organizations that had left the centre due to problems being addressed in the renovations, have said they would return to the new centre, increasing the centre’s usage. Noble said the recreation committee has done substantial work to make sure there are activities for the community at the centre, pointing to the fact that the centre reduced its annual operating deficit this year. Council received the report and said it would discuss the issue during budget talks. Continued from page 1 right direction for the project. With their work on several local arenas, including Listowel, Noble said that committee members felt the company could help Brussels achieve its goals. She said that the company believes strongly in campaigns not running longer than one year, lest the community find itself with a case of donor fatigue. Noble also said that the study would focus on securing larger donations that are compatible with the statistics that show that 80 per cent of donations come from 20 per cent of a campaign’s donors. Councillor Alvin McLellan spoke in favour of the proposal. As a member of the renovation committee, he said that members felt it was the best way to proceed, ensuring that committee members knew where they stood before committing to anything. Councillor Ray Chartrand was concerned, however, saying he thought council would be apprised of progress along the way and presented with several options before the wheels really started to turn. McLellan said that the committee decided to drop the concept of several ideas early on in the process, opting instead to try and build the best community centre it could. He reported those details back to council as the meetings were held. McLellan said he really felt that engaging the public one last time was essential to the success of the project. The committees have met with members of the public, user groups and service clubs along the way and now, to gauge the community’s ability to raise over $4 million would be an important step in the process. He said the committee has worked hard and done its best to come back with what members feel is the best path forward. However, if the community can’t pay for it, then that’s something the committee needs to know sooner, rather than later. “At the end of the day, if there’s not enough money, then the committees have some hard questions to answer,” McLellan said. Mayor Bernie MacLellan said that it’s council’s policy to not approve a grant request at the same meeting it was presented, however, he was supportive of the study. He said that renovation and expansion at a cost of over $4 million is a lot of money and determining whether the community can afford it would be a prudent move at this point. While MacLellan said he felt the project was worthwhile, if the study comes back and determines that the community can’t afford the high costs and has to reduce its expectations, then there’s a study that makes that official. Huron East staff will prepare a report on the request and council will address the issue at its next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 5 in Seaforth. GET CONNECTED! The Citizen is now planning its 2018-2019 Telephone Book WANT TO ADD OR RENEW YOUR CELL PHONE LISTING? Each person can have one free listing (cell or landline). Additional phone numbers are just $5.00. Get in the book! Is your number correct in the recently delivered Bell Canada phone book? Do you have a new listing since that book was compiled? Let us know about corrections or additions Call 519-523-4792 or info@northhuron.on.ca HE council behind renovations By Denny Scott The Citizen A decisive win The Blyth Brussels Crusaders Novice Rep squad posted a convincing win over the competition from Wingham earlier this month, earning a 10-0 victory. (Shawn Loughlin photo)