Outside contractors will not be pursued right now to operate the Sundre arena, decided a committee of council recently.
Under council's direction, town officials explored several cost-saving measures for the arena over the last few months in an attempt to get the facility out of a deficit.
Administration budgeted for a $93,933 deficit for 2013. New estimates peg the municipally-run arena's deficit at $109,750 by the end of the year. With some recent changes, they are predicting the 2014 projected deficit will be $60,338.
Several options have been discussed, including contracting out the operations of the facility.
During the council workshop meeting on Nov. 12, the general consensus was it was difficult to discuss what option would be best, because town officials did not prepare quotes to contract out the facility.
Doug Wright, the town's interim chief administrative officer, told councillors that a contract would be anywhere from $150,000 to $225,000. He noted that he had reviewed some rough figures.
“If you've seen some rough numbers, why don't we have them?” asked Coun. Tony Jordan.
Wright said he recently sat down with a member of the community who suggested he could save the town money. He said that person showed him some rough numbers. He did not name the person.
“I don't appreciate the way you brought that information forward,” said Jordan, raising his voice.
Wright said it is unfair for councillors to hold him responsible to bring information forward that the person did not wish to.
Dallas Rosevear, president of the Sundre Minor Hockey Association, was present at the Aug. 12 governance meeting and suggested he could save the town up to $200,000.
He said the town would save close to that amount of money if the arena was independent from the municipality's facilities. He said if the town tendered out the arena, it would relieve the town from operating it.
It was suggested by Coun. Paul Isaac during the previous meeting that Wright and Rosevear meet to further discuss cost-saving measures for the arena.
During last week's meeting, Mayor Terry Leslie said it is difficult to say contracting is an option when there are no quotes to review. Isaac agreed.
Tactics are already being employed to help reduce the deficit for this year.
Jacci Hager, the town's manager of community services, said hours of the arena have recently been altered. Rather than being open from roughly 8 a.m. to midnight during the weekdays, it is now open from 2 p.m. to midnight from Monday to Thursday.
With this change and one less staff member, the town has saved roughly $22,000. The community services department is currently operating with six permanent full-time employees at the arena. There are seven employees budgeted for, so a savings to the arena specifically is $10,000 as a result of that.
Leslie expressed concern that the students of Sundre High School (SHS) and River Valley School (RVS) are unable to use the facility during class time. He asked about providing the schools with keys to the arena and Hager said there would be liability issues and that there have been issues with vandalism in the past.
Leslie said children should be active and the town should not have a facility they could be using locked up. He said it is “self evident” to continue operating the facility the way it is.
Wanda Watson-Neufeld, the town's director of corporate services, pointed out that the Town of Sundre will not be receiving $4,000 from SHS this season for its use of the facility. The town has received $4,000 from each of the schools each year for students to use the arena. It will still be receiving the payment from RVS.
Wright asked councillors why tax dollars are not spent on the arena, but are spent on the Aquaplex facility. Isaac noted that when the facility opened it was not supposed to be a cost to the Town of Sundre.
Coun. Myron Thompson said it is hard to compare the arena with the Aquaplex when it is privately owned. He agreed to keep the facility operations status quo and to keep up with efficiencies such as the staffing and hours of operation changes.
He said when he looks at an option saying the town will have a surplus of $170,000 but then minus a contract, it is difficult to know what to do without dollar amounts.
“How am I supposed to answer that?” asked Thompson.
