Peter Shokeir | [email protected]
Jasper Municipal Council approved increasing the budget for the recreation renovation project by a total of $6.4 million during its June 20 meeting.
The 45 per cent increase will be funded by debenture, increasing the municipality’s annual debt payments by around $520,000 starting in 2024.
“As difficult as it is to see an increase of 45 per cent, the realities of the situation are such that if we don’t do it now, we simply saddle a future council or a future generation with this same problem, and if we take arrows for it, so be it,” said Mayor Richard Ireland during the meeting.
The project budget was previously $14 million, but tenders returned at a price premium well above what was expected with the total awarded cost rising to $20.4 million.
The increase was attributed to factors such as higher-than-anticipated inflation, a province-wide construction labour shortage and unique local market challenges in Jasper.
Last week, council directed administration to return with a more detailed breakdown of the upgrades.
A new elevator was among the proposed upgrades to the Activity Centre.
The project calls also for improvements to the main doors and entryway as well as a basement universal change room.
The Arena and Activity Centre had shared mechanical and electrical systems that required replacement.
The Aquatic Centre renovations included change room renovations as well as lighting and mechanical system repairs and replacements.
According to administration, many of the upgrades related to accessibility cannot be cut without jeopardizing federal funding.
The upgrades were also seen as urgent.
The addition of three new dressing rooms was the only major component of the project that wasn’t tied to the grant funding.
The municipality had also proposed upgrades to the Centennial Park Log Cabin, but those have since been dropped.
Coun. Scott Wilson, who was the only council member to vote against the budget increase, asked during the meeting if it was worth investing in these older buildings and if they needed to be replaced soon.
Christopher Read, director of Community Development, replied that documentation from exterior experts indicates that these buildings were worth upgrading.
“I can proudly say, on the arena’s count, that barn was well built. It is well worth investing in. I can honestly say that there are many components to the Activity Centre and Aquatic Centre that are showing that they are well built and well worth investing in.”
Coun. Rico Damota raised the idea of increasing rental fees to help cover the inflated cost.
CAO Bill Given noted that the projected revenue from the arena was only $313,000 for 2023, meaning a 10 per cent increase in revenue would only give about $30,000 to help cover a debt payment of $520,000.
“Really, these investments are . . . for the benefit of the community, and the activity generated in that facility is . . . an investment in economic development, in terms of numbers of people that we can bring to Jasper at any one time,” Given said.
“But that is indirect, and it is not something that shows on the municipality’s books.”
Coun. Helen Kelleher-Empey emphasized the need for change rooms when it comes to hockey, acknowledging that some items may have to be cut from the municipality’s budget to help cover the cost increase.
“[If] we’re going to go forward, we have to do it right, because every year, everything seems to go up,” Kelleher-Empey said.
“Do we want to be here 10 years from now having this conversation again? I mean, we’ve heard from administration that our buildings were solid, so I think we need to upgrade.”
