Parkland Foundation member communities have expressed strong reservations over a letter distributed by the agency about future plans and financing options for the aging Autumn Glen Lodge.
A Dec. 31 letter from the Parkland Foundation executive committee to Penhold town council, which was also sent to the other member communities, had been entered as received correspondence on Jan. 27. A notice in the letter that member communities would be requisitioned for a future project to replace Autumn Glen immediately caught the attention of both council and administration.
The other member communities are Elnora, Innisfail, Bowden, Red Deer County, and Delburne.
Reaction to the letter in Penhold was immediate, and questions and comments from all councillors and Rick Binnendyk, the town's chief administrative officer, dominated the meeting.
ìI thought that it was the province's responsibility to build lodges and seniors' residences,î said Binnendyk. ìIf it's not, on what authority can Parkland Foundation solicit funds to build a new seniors lodge that is binding on the member communities?î
Councillors Mike Yargeau and Julia King had attended Parkland Foundation meetings over the last two months when discussions were held on the future of the aging facility and the letter was approved on Dec. 18.
ìAs a community we realize the value of our seniors,î said Dennis Cooper, Penhold mayor. ìWe also realize that Autumn Glen is aging and does need replacement. There has to be a balance of our responsibilities to Penhold citizens and taxpayers and to the services we are funding through requisitions such as Autumn Glen.î
Questions on the planning, investigation, and funding process were also aired by Cooper, and echoed by other councillors.
The proposed Autumn Glen Lodge upgrade carries a tentative $22-million price tag for the first three phases. The vision for the lodge's upgrades or replacement will see expanded rooms of between 300 and 400 square feet as compared to the current areas, and wider hallways to accommodate wheelchairs. A funding formula is not yet in place.
The Parkland Foundation stated in its letter that it planned to move forward with a minimum lodge replacement project in keeping with the agency's ìaffordable housingî mandate.
ìBy accepting the letter as presented,î asked Binnendyk, ìdo we accept the unconfirmed amount of funding requested?î
Council discussed the ramifications of the request and moved to reply with a caveat on funding requests pending further information.
ìWe need more information,î said Binnendyk. ìThis is a big issue.î
Bowden town council, meanwhile, was also concerned about the upcoming requisition.
ìWe have lots of questions about the Autumn Glen project like the other communities,î said Sandy Gamble, Bowden town councillor and Parkland Foundation board representative. ìOnce we get more information on the options we will go from there.î
Mark Kemball, Innisfail town councillor, said town council is also concerned over the possibility the municipality could be requisitioned in the future.
ìBut we do know that we need to replace Autumn Glen sooner rather than later. We are sitting down with Red Deer County to discuss the issue,î said Kemball.
Last month Red Deer County announced that the Autumn Glen Lodge upgrade/replacement issue was being placed on the top of its strategic priority list for 2014.
