This is the weekend 樱桃视频residents decide if District of 樱桃视频council gets the green light to spend more than $20 million to improve our recreation amenities.
Interest in the referendum is high. Advance voting opportunities on Feb. 16, 19 and 23 drew a total of 455 voters compared to past votes the two-day advance vote participation is much higher than normal.
Leading up to the voting a number of meetings took place to discuss the recreation amenities question before the community. The District of 樱桃视频hosted information meetings last Wednesday (Feb. 16) and Thursday (Feb. 24), while The Chief hosted a public forum Monday (Feb. 21) to give residents a chance to debate the issue. The discussion took place at Eagle Eye Theatre and attracted an small group.
Tim Shoults, editor and publisher of The Chief, opened the meeting by telling those gathered the purpose of the meeting.
He informed the group their words will help in the composition of the editorial stance The Chief is taking on the referendum issue.
Mayor Ian Sutherland participated in the discussion with councillors Dave Fenn and Sonja Lebans.
Seven others attended the meeting. Of the seven citizens, two spoke favourably and the other five spoke against the idea of casting yes votes.
Astrid Andersen said she believes the referendum is about the haves and the have-nots. She predicted the haves will vote yes and the have-nots will vote no.
"We will all pay user fees," she added.
Pennie McNutt came to the meeting armed with a number of questions she wanted answered.
McNutt wanted to know who came up with the list of amenities identified as potential projects for the more than $20 million.
"All the people who ran in the last election all said they wanted a second sheet of ice and a seniors center so you can assume those two projects are at the top of the priority list," Sutherland said after he said the list was based on the most-often talked about amenity proposals during the 2002 election.
McNutt also wanted to see descriptions of each of the potential projects the $20 million might go toward. And, she wondered how the community will pay the operating costs for the new facilities.
Sutherland said those are questions to be dealt with after the community votes on the concept of borrowing the money to improve amenities.
"If the answer is yes we'll spend about a million dollars to begin planning," Sutherland said. The initial investment will go towards feasibility studies, consultation to determine community priorities and descriptions of the potential projects.
"Instead of spending a million dollars in studies to prepare for a referendum on specific projects just to have the people vote no in a referendum, instead of doing that and wasting money we decided to ask the people if they support the idea in general," said Sutherland.
"If this goes ahead Feb. 26 there's a very good chance all these projects on the list will go ahead," the mayor said. "If the answer is no there's a very good chance the projects won't go ahead."
Patsy Riecker wanted to know if proceeds from the sale of land, like the $2 million the District of 樱桃视频recently negotiated for Block R, can be used to pay for recreation facilities.
Sutherland said once the infrastructure into Block R is paid for any money left over can be used for capital projects like recreation amenities.
The mayor also added to the thought by noting each new home and each new commercial development built in 樱桃视频will increase the size of the tax base and decrease the amount paid on the loan for amenities by existing residents.
"The amount of money you pay for this referendum will go down with every new house built in Squamish," Sutherland said.Andersen, a long-time resident, and Doug Fenton, another long-time resident, didn't buy it.
"Taxes going down is hogwash," said Fenton. He went to suggest council members haven't done enough to address affordable housing issues and he urged the current council to set aside money to help create affordable housing with help from higher levels of government.
Fenn said if 樱桃视频doesn't move ahead with amenities funded by taxpayers he fears private interests will recognize the need for the amenities and then build private facilities.
"I look at this project as a socially-driven project for the have-nots," Fenn said. "It redistributes wealth from the wealthy."Fenn pointed out public projects will be available for public use while private recreation facilities will carry user fees higher than fees charged for the use of public facilities.
The three members of council worry about the repercussions if new amenities aren't built soon.
"If we don't respond with public amenities we will get private amenities," Fenn predicted.
"Minor Hockey told people some might not be able to play hockey this season," Sutherland told the gathering. "Thankfully that didn't happen."
If kids aren't playing hockey they might be doing other things we might not approve of, Sutherland said.
"You just can't wait for a crisis as we did with affordable housing before we do something," said Sutherland.
The two citizens at the forum in support of the borrowing plan said the amenities are needed as 樱桃视频grows.
Voters cast their ballots on Saturday (Feb. 26) at Brennan Park Recreation Centre between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Shuttles will operate between the recreation centre and the 樱桃视频Business Park so 樱桃视频Transit users can get to the polling station.
