"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Monday 25 June 2012

Priorities May Be Skewed

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Let Both Sides Be Heard": 
If the fund is in deficit, can they still spend it in anticipation? Not on my budget but Council appear to have different rules. The current crop came in to cut & reduce spending limits established by the past one. They should keep that in mind. Clock's ticking & taxpayers are watching & listening.
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The fund is in deficit. Development charges are paid when building permits are issued. Funds will be available at that time.
In the meantime, at last  accounting, there were  $13 million  in the Cash-in-lieu of parks reserve fund which can be borrowed .
Cash -in-lieu  we take when new construction does not create a need for  new facilities:; that is  commercial or industrial buildings. It generates a slush fund. 
Development charges are calculated on facilities needed as a result of the new growth. It could be vehicles and equipment and buildings for fire and works. 
It can't be for general maintenance .
Municipalities used to be able to use 100% of the funds for new facilities. The regulations now allow only 90% to be used. 10%
has to come from  town resources. The cash-in-lieu  fund can be used but we haven't.
We can also encourage  users to pay the 10% . Minor Hockey has added a surcharge to memberships to pay for new ice facilities.
AYSC are paying the 10% for the artificial turf field at Sheppard's Bush. 
It cost $600ks. The parks department saved $400ks by doing much of the work to put it in place.
I didn't hear the same deal was made for the field at St  Max High .  So, probably not. 
Here's the thing,  $1.4 million  is recommended for still more soccer facilities without reference to  other needs that might take priority.
Now we know 30% of  AYSC   membership don't even live in Aurora. The club fields many more rep teams than other towns twice  our size. And that's what creates pressure on existing fields.And the club is a commercial operation demanding more and more public facilities be provided so they can grow their operation. 
I think we have to ask ourselves, what other facilities are we not providing  while this club  gets everything it asks for using house league  kids, squeezed off the fields to make way for multiple rep teams, as the excuse for their demands.
We have a serious problem with kids and skate boards. 
Thirty five years old  now at least, skateboarding is not a fad. 
Serious  damage is caused to public property because they don't have a place to do what they do. . 
Is it time to provide a real skate board park? What would it cost? Where should it be?  How long has it been in the master recreation plan with development charges collected and the need  shoved aside because they're not organized like other minor sports ? 
They don't have an in with the Mayor. 
And Oh Yes, they're unlikely to be able to muster several hundred votes at election time to buy and sell the politicians.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"Now we know 30% of AYSC membership don't even live in Aurora."

No, we have one person speculate that the rep teams are comprised of that percentage. That supposition doesn't include the more numerous house league teams.