Getting the pulse on new pool lanes

Expansion of lane swimming at Servus Credit Union Place could again be on the table, if a city councillor initiative to conduct public engagement next year is successful.

During 2020 budget deliberations, St. Albert Coun. Jacquie Hansen will float the idea of moving an aquatics expansion at Servus Place from the "unfunded" side of the capital plan to the "funded" side.

For now, as a way to get a feel for the pulse of St. Albertans, Hansen is zeroing in on the public consultation portion of the project, which according to the proposed budget is estimated at $78,000.

In 2017, St. Albert held a plebiscite during its municipal election on whether residents were in favour of expanding aquatic space at Servus Place. Fifty-six per cent of residents voted yes, but the expansion has remained idle on the capital plan’s unfunded list since the election.

Hansen’s motion reads public engagement should be conducted to determine whether there is appetite to expand aquatics space at Servus Place or wait to see what happens with future planning for a new recreation centre.

“The bigger question is, do people want to wait until a recreation site is built, or is there a big demand to just get 'er done now?” Hansen said, adding the public engagement would also address appetite to fund the expansion through tax increases.

The entire pool expansion for an eight-lane, 25-metre pool at Servus Place would cost an estimated $22.5 million.

At the end of September, city council reviewed three options for where a new recreation facility and other community amenities could find a home in St. Albert, and costs associated with servicing that land. Currently, Mayor Cathy Heron has a motion sitting on the table to postpone site planning a year for community amenities, which is currently budgeted at $900,000 in 2020.

Hansen said she is not sure whether everyone who said yes in the plebiscite was specifically saying yes to the expansion of aquatics at Servus Place, or generally wanted to see more swimming opportunities in the city.

Addressing a recreation deficit in St. Albert was identified as the fourth most common theme amongst responses from 197 participants who submitted input to the city’s online budget engagement tool, which closed last week.

One participant said it is “time for the City to honour the opinions and votes of the citizens of St. Albert” and put money towards a new pool at Servus Place.

City council will vote on budget motions during their budget deliberations on Thursday, which could impact St. Albert’s final mill rate. Currently, the proposed residential property tax increase is sitting at 2.4-per-cent.

“I’m just kind of anxious to know exactly where the public are on this, and whether we need to wait or whether we need to push forward,” Hansen said. “This engagement will help us get the pulse of the residents a little more. But we’ll have to really understand what that cost will look like.”