Plans for an expanded recreation park in the Village of Delburne got a $50,000 boost from Red Deer County Council last week.The Delburne Futures Committee, which is overseeing the planned $296,444 expansion of the Main Street Park, had requested that council match the $108,000 the village had already committed to the project.The expansion would create a multi-use recreational area that would include a playground; a cement/asphalt pad court area for basketball, ball hockey, and other games; a sand court area for volleyball; a 120 ft. by 85 ft. open green space for Frisbee, running and catch; a re-landscaped Centennial Park area; a seniors' area for shuffleboard, lawn bowling and bocce; and an outdoor fitness area in addition to the highly-successful spray park.Council had donated $25,000 towards the construction of the spray park in 2008 and had also leveraged $83,333 in contributions from the Delburne Ag Society, village and county to obtain a $250,000 grant for arena repairs.Coun. Philip Massier made the motion to approve a donation of $50,000 to the project, saying it would be a good way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the village's incorporation in 2012.ìThis really helps support the small families that live in the eastern half of the county,î he said, noting there were rumours the village was able to secure other sources of funding for the project. ìThey are getting support other than just from governments.îCoun. Don Nesbitt suggested a donation of $20,000, saying Massier's motion of $50,000 in funding seemed too high.ìThis is taxpayers' money going to this park and I think Delburne should be able to raise some of the money, or borrow the money themselves, for this park,î he said.Agreeing with Nesbitt, Coun. George Gehrke said a $50,000 donation seemed ìexcessiveî and suggested a $25,000 donation instead.Mayor Jim Wood said developing partnerships with neighbouring municipalities was important and council needed to put its support behind the proposal.ìWe see a lot of our children from Red Deer County using the spray park that's adjacent to us. I think that we will see use from Red Deer County residents,î he said.A donation of $50,000 was well within the county's means, Wood continued, adding it would still require Delburne to raise a significant amount of funding on its own.ìWhat I do want to see happen is (that) this project does materialize. If we don't put enough in, it may not.îMassier, Nesbitt, Wood, Coun. Richard Lorenz, Coun. David Hoar and Coun. Penny Archibald voted in favour of Massier's motion, while Gehrke voted against it.The funding will come from municipal reserves.
