When Yorkton Council recently decided to keep the annual levy that had been implemented to pay off the Gallagher Centre expansion from years ago, simply repurposing it to be money used for recreation projects in the city, it was a wise one – albeit perhaps accomplished without much public discussion by Council for residents to view.
Certainly an issue for Councils for years has been how to create reserve accounts for projects that everyone knows are coming just around the bend.
The list of things needing attention, especially given many sidewalks and much street paving, underground water and sewer lines being a half century or older, is a long one in Yorkton, and frankly most urban communities across Saskatchewan and Canada.
It often comes down to doing a few more metres of sidewalk replacement, or replacing some additional pavement today, or putting money aside for a future project.
Voters like seeing work done.
Councils like happy residents.
So, it’s usually a project today, leaving how to fund the next project when it finally comes to the top of the pile to be done.
Recreational projects are part of the process, but they are somewhat unique.
Residents would not be happy if the water at their taps suddenly disappeared because of an under-street line failure or worse if the toilet couldn’t be flushed for even a few days.
With recreation not having a second ice surface, or an aging golf clubhouse, or access to a pool, while an inconvenience, would not create the same level of hardship.
That said, recreational opportunities are an integral part of the fabric of a community.
A facility such as the Gallagher Centre is a draw for localized tourism, and certainly a positive for business to consider whether they should establish here.
And residents are fortunate in a city Yorkton’s size to have facilities such as the Godfrey Dean Gallery and Anne Portnuff Theatre as part of the local culture.
So having some long term funding through an annual levy is a good thing.
And it will be used.
In fact, the list of potential projects, just those talked about in recent weeks, far exceeds what the $1.15 million levy will be able to carry.
We know Council is looking at a new clubhouse for Deer Park Golf Course that may cost up to $4 million-plus.
A major refurbishing of the Kinsmen Arena, if not a complete replacement, is on the horizon and the cost could flirt with $20 million depending on what exactly moves forward.
Monday a community group brought the idea of pump track for the city to Council. It is the type of outdoor rec facility the City has focused on with the disc golf course, paved walking track, trout pond development, crokicurl and skate paths, but the pump track is another project with a cost tied to it.
And last Thursday Mayor Mitch Hippsley tossed out an interesting idea when he spoke at the annual meeting of the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce, a project around JayCee Beach. One can envision a range of ideas that might come from such a discussion, with costs that could vary widely.
So the levy is a good one, but the decisions of where to invest it will still be a challenge for Council moving forward.
