City budget issues focus on rec facilities

By COLLIN GALLANT on June 9, 2021.

A city review of the recreation masterplan is considering closing older pools and arenas that require renovations in favour of building larger multi-use facilities at strategic points throughout the city.--News file photo

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

An ongoing city recreation review is geared toward centralizing facilities and rinks in favour of maintaining existing facilities spread throughout the Medicine Hat, city council was told Monday.

Council members have discussed the idea of reducing operating costs by conglomerating operations since approving budget cuts last fall, but a critic of the idea says community pools and rinks create value for nearby residents that must be taken into account.

The statement arose at council’s meeting when members discussed a related study of potentially adding amenities to open space in parks.

That would concentrate new items like playgrounds, vendor stations and program space at certain larger parks, and follows new local general planning policy adopted last year. It allows for less diverse subdivisions in terms of housing types, commercial offerings and even land reserved for parks if they are available in the larger area.

It also comes as administrators are determining the future of the Moose Recreation Centre arena and Crestwood Rec centre and pool, as well as Heights outdoor pool, amid a budget crunch and maintenance requirements.

“It does give rise to things like leisure centre (type facilities) replacing single stand-alone facilities, a potential quad-ice surface replacing single stand-alone facilities throughout the community,” city manager Bob Nicolay told council.

“We’re seeing these kinds of things actioned throughout Medicine Hat.”

Hatter Alison Van Dyke is critical of the move, which she says would be detrimental to communities, schools that use nearby facilities and residents.

“When you are discussing this you have to appreciate the full effects,” she said.

“They make neighbourhoods more desirable places to live. It also assumes everyone has a car, or can afford pricier admission – sending your kids to an outdoor pool is cheaper than the Family Leisure Centre.”

As part of budget discussions last fall, administrators announced the Moose and Crestwood, which were already closed due to the pandemic, would remain closed throughout 2021 as attendance was low and while planners examined upgrade costs.

At the same time long-budgeted work to rebuild the slab at the Moose was cancelled among other approved projects. That freed funds so the city could pay cost-share portions of COVID stimulus projects this year without adding new money to the capital budget.

Those spending decisions could come back for budget approval, but with tighter budgets expected and infrastructure grants from the province set to be scaled back in 2023, some council members have said the idea of building newer, larger facilities to replace smaller aging ones, be cost effective.

As well, new facilities could address a seeming imbalance in city facilities in newer versus older communities in Medicine Hat.

Van Dyke said facilities should be built in newer communities, but not at the expense of central communities losing theirs.

“There’s a domino effect,” when facilities are closed, said Van Dyke. “There are ways to expand services and expand revenues, if that’s the issue, but I’m not seeing any of that discussed yet here.”

Earlier this month the public services committee heard an update about recreation review and specifically how the department was contemplating potential development of open spaces and parks.

Administrators said at the time a facilities review was ongoing due to the generally short timeline.

Division head Brian Mastel said typically the review would be done to set down guiding principles, then a facilities review would proceed in that vein, but due to the timelines and budget constraints the facilities review had already begun.

Finance officials who cut $15 million out the city budget this year will need to maintain those cuts and find another $10 million in new revenue or cuts for 2022 to meet balanced budget goals.