Morinville may spend about $64 million by 2032 to build its new rec-centre, the town's long-range capital plan suggests.
Town council approved its 2016 capital plan and 2016-35 long-range capital plan last Feb. 9 after numerous amendments.
The plan includes some $167.5 million in capital spending and $25 million in utility spending in the next 20 years, said Andy Isbister, the town's acting chief administrative officer. As this cash comes from grants and reserves, it will not affect operating budgets.
The plan shows that the town will spend $4.5 million this year to bring servicing to the 77-acre rec-centre site just east of Morinville. It projects a further $22.25 million next year to build an arena, field house and common area; $5 million in 2022 for a curling rink and sports fields; $10 million in 2027 for a second arena; and $22.5 million 2032 for an aquatics centre.
"There is no commitment from council for anything beyond 2016," Isbister said – actual expenditures will depend on recommendations from the town's rec-centre advisory committee.
Other projected items in the plan include $2.25 million in 2017 to destroy the Ray MacDonald arena and upgrade the current curling rink, $1 million in 2018 to build a roundabout on Highway 642, $1.5 million in 2020 to expand the fire hall, and $18 million by 2021 for a new RCMP building.
Cuts aplenty
Council trimmed $256,500 from the 2016 capital budget after much debate.
Coun. Stephen Dafoe got council to silence the proposed $79,000 emergency alert siren project. He said he put the item into the budget to gauge the public's reaction to the idea, and "they gave their opinion quite clearly that it was not a priority."
Coun. Rob Ladouceur won support to cut a proposed $125,000 electronic sign for the Community Cultural Centre. (Council did agree to spend $15,000 for a regular sign.)
Coun. Gordon Putnam questioned the need to pay $95,000 for an equipment cold storage building – a project originally proposed back in 2013 – and proposed reducing this to $75,000.
"When you have three-quarters of a million in equipment sitting outside, that's a concern," replied Claude Valcourt, the town's public works director. The building proposed in the budget was the most cost-effective one available, and could also be converted into office space later.
Dafoe questioned why Putnam would support a $65,000 entrance sign (see below) but not a $95,000 shelter for almost a million dollars of equipment.
The cut passed 4-3, with Mayor Lisa Holmes and councillors Nicole Boutestein and Brennan Fitzgerald opposed
Sign spat
Council voted 5-2 to defeat Boutestein's proposal to cut a new $65,000 south-side entrance sign from the budget. She and Dafoe argued that now was not the time to build it.
Holmes countered that the entrance sign was meant to showcase the community and that it was supposed to have been replaced in 2011.
"The one that is there is horrible. It is not what we want to show these people we are asking to come invest in our community."
But people are still investing despite the sign, Dafoe said.
"I think potential investors are going to judge us more on our ability to develop a public school for middle grades than they will the condition of that particular sign," he said, in reference to the town's struggle to build a new public school.
Council later voted 4-3 in favour of Coun. Barry Turner's idea to reduce the budget for this sign to $32,500 (Boutestein, Putnam, and Ladouceur opposed). This amount of cash would buy a sign similar to the ones now at the east and west ends of town, Isbister said.
The capital budget will soon be available at morinville.ca.
