Summerland, B.C. residents to vote on $50 million pool price tag – Okanagan | 24CA News
Summerland, B.C., residents will now have the chance to vote on whether or not or to not borrow as much as $50 million for a new pool on the Summerland Aquatic and Fitness Centre.
Last month, employees voted unanimously to maneuver ahead with a referendum as quickly as this coming fall, regardless of some preliminary hesitation.
“There will be a referendum … it’s been published in council priorities all the way along that we had to go to a referendum,” stated District of Summerland Chief Administrative Officer Graham Statt.
“Council had wanted to wait a little while longer just to see if we got one key grant that we were looking for, but it didn’t come through.”
According to metropolis employees, the council determined to go forward with the referendum, assuming that native taxpayers will bear the total price.
However, if extra grants are rewarded later, the monetary burden on native taxpayers will go down.
“We have really good estimates, including contingencies and cost escalation — we don’t have to borrow all of the money if we get additional grants. One grant we’re waiting on right now is the Green Inclusive Community Buildings Grant, in the amount of $25 million. So if we’re successful on that, it would be half of the entire cost,” stated Statt.
“Our mayor in fact is in Ottawa for other meetings and is also taking the opportunity to lobby the federal government on this issue, just making sure they understand the importance of this grant to the community. I think it’s always best to err on the side of caution, and then hopefully it comes in even less.”
Summerland employees say the present facility, inbuilt 1976, is well beyond its helpful life and would want vital funding to repair or it will finally be decommissioned.
“We have the existing facility that now has become very antiquated, needs a lot of work, millions and millions of dollars,” stated Statt.
“We’ve got roof leaks, there’s leaking a strange tar-like substance onto the pool deck and into the pool, termite infestations. We have really old infrastructure in obviously the basement and things like pipes, air circulation, and HVAC. It also uses 80 per cent more energy than other pools of its size that are more modernized.”
District employees have now begun the prolonged strategy of getting ready for the referendum.
“Some of which is on us and some of which is on our senior government, which is the province. We have to prepare a borrowing bylaw and a question that we wish to ask,” stated Statt.
“That all has to be approved by the municipal inspector, which is with the province and then once they approve that, then we have only 80 days to hold the referendum.”
Although employees can not decide an actual date right now, they’re aiming to carry the referendum in November.
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