SUNDRE – The municipal council has agreed to officially support a grant application being prepared by the Town of Olds, which is currently looking into options for a regional multiplex.
The move came by way of motion on Dec. 18 during a regular meeting with one member of council opposed.
Providing council with a preamble on the regional municipal partner’s intent, Linda Nelson, chief administrative officer, said Olds had submitted a written request seeking Sundre’s support for an Alberta Community Partnership grant application to conduct Phase 2 of a regional multiplex study.
Olds is in the process of conducting the first phase, which essentially is a condition assessment as well as a feasibility study of the Olds Sportsplex that is expected to be concluded in March, reads part of the written correspondence signed by Town of Olds Mayor Judy Dahl.
“This effort…will provide an engineering report on the current state of the building and its machinery; an opinion on its suitability for the current and future recreation needs of Olds and area; a high-level cost to achieve (approximately) 30 more years of life from the building; and an opinion on whether the Town (of Olds) should invest in this building or seek to build a new facility,” Dahl wrote.
Regardless of how the first phase turns out, she said Olds is “certain that a significant capital project will be required” most likely within the coming seven to 10 years and that starting to develop plans sooner than later is imperative.
As of the time Dahl had signed the letter, which was dated Nov. 29, she said that Olds had received formal expressions of support from the Olds College of Agriculture and Technology, Chinook’s Edge School Division, as well as Mounty View County, with several similar letters for request sent to other municipal neighbours.
“No financial cost is being asked of Sundre for this study and this project will not proceed in 2024 should the grant application be unsuccessful,” she wrote.
Coun. Chris Vardas moved that council support Olds’ request.
“I think that this is a really great idea,” said Coun. Jaime Marr. “I think that if we ever needed to do something like this for our facilities, that they would support us also.”
However, one member of council had doubts about the intent and expressed skepticism.
“I read this letter a lot different,” said Coun. Connie Anderson.
“I think they’re trying to get us to get involved with them so they can get a new facility again with a lot of money from the county and the government, and they say, ‘Oh, well everybody in the area is supporting that it be built here,’” said Anderson.
“I think that’s what’s happening, but I’m not sure of that. I would like more information before I vote,” he added.
Marr felt the letter was clear in stating that Olds was not seeking any financial commitments from Sundre.
“I didn’t necessarily read what you read into it,” said Marr. “It’s a study. And to me, you need to know what you have before you move forward with any plan.”
But Anderson countered that Olds is already in the process of completing the first phase, “which will tell them what condition the building is in without going to any more depth.”
Mayor Richard Warnock said he agreed “there is a risk if they try to compete” for funding, he said.
“But I feel that from a community standard, our residents would never stand for closing our facility and going to Olds,” he said.
“This is just strictly a study. If it goes beyond that study, then the Town of Sundre has to make a decision as to how we react.”
Coun. Todd Dalke understood where Anderson was coming from, but did not feel the concerns were necessarily warranted.
“You are right to an extent that they will use Sundre’s data along with the entire (area) in order to secure funding and it will be called regional,” said Dalke.
However, Dalke added, “I don’t think that we will risk ourselves losing funding.”
Recognizing there are only so many grant dollars available per region, he said Sundre could still apply for funding and that most communities seem to be moving toward larger, combined multiplex facilities.
“Unless we’re competing directly, which I don’t think we currently are for any of these funds, then we should support them,” said Dalke.
Nelson added that as the study is for a regional multiplex, Olds would – provided the process even goes that far – be seeking opinions from all of the surrounding communities that would hopefully include a survey to determine the public’s support for a single regional facility. At such a time, Sundre council and residents would then have an opportunity to reaffirm a preference to maintain local facilities, she said.
The mayor also said it’s less a matter of if and more a matter of when Sundre will be in a similar situation as Olds in terms of seeking regional support to apply for grant funding.
The motion to support Olds’ request carried with Anderson opposed.
