It looks like the shoe has finally dropped.
Maybe.
On Feb. 7, County of Barrhead manager Deb Oyarzun presented a sealed package from Municipal Affairs to council after which they went in camera.
When they returned, councillors gave no mention of what it contained, but shortly after returning, reeve Doug Drozd hinted the contents might be related to the ongoing recreation agreement with the town.
We can only hope.
The residents of both the town and county deserve to have this matter settled especially if it has anything to do with former Municipal Affairs minister Danielle Larivee’s imposed six-month deadline to come up with a recreation agreement. If not, she inferred she would use the weight of the ministry to settle the issue.
The deadline is long passed (Oct. 16) and it is time, regardless that there is a new minister, to follow through and if that package has anything to do with it, then kudos to the ministry.
Regardless of whether Municipal Affairs is willing to get involved, it is time for the county to start contemplating what it deems as fair contribution to recreation as stated in the Aquatic Centre Capital Agreement.
Currently, municipalities all over the province are in the process of creating their 2017 budgets, and in order for the town to finalize its budget they will need to know how much the county’s recreation contribution will be.
In 2016, that number was $88,860 or about 14 per cent of the overall operational budgets of Barrhead’s major recreation facilities (Agrena and curling rink). From the town’s perspective they hope that number increases significantly, especially with the pool coming on line this spring or summer. However, if it doesn’t, town councillors shouldn’t complain because an agreement is an agreement. If they weren’t prepared to live with the consequences then they shouldn’t have signed it. In order to get the county’s capital funding for the pool town councillors agreed to the county contributing what they deemed is fair for recreation.
That being said county councillors, at least those contemplating re-election. In the coming months, should be expressing what they believe the county should do after the municipal elections in October when the agreement can be renegotiated. This is an election issue and county residents deserve to know where prospective candidates stand before going to the polls.
And if whatever was in the county’s mystery package from Municipal Affairs did not include how they plan to intercede, then both the town and county councils need to get back to work and come up with a solution. This means both parties have to make significant concessions. The town must be willing to accept, or at least talk about, an agreement where the county pays significantly less than half, and where the county contributes much more than the 14 per cent it currently does towards jointly used facilities.
