Elliot Lake Council has approved the spending of $57,000, much of which will go to a detailed assessment of the Elliot Lake Curling Club on Hillside South.
Council was asked to spend $7,500 with BDO so the financials firm would produce an updated look at financing for the various elements of the planned Recreation Hub, estimated to cost $40 million in total.
Mayor Dan Marchisella was adamant about the city's commitment to the project at Monday night's City Council meeting.
He outlined that Council has already committed to building all of the design elements of the Hub, now planned for a build at 151 Ontario Avenue.
The Mayor said his vision relates to a 20- to 30-year repayment plan.
He told Council that any phased approach won't work, partly due to changing members of Council as well as changing governments at Queen's Park.
The Mayor noted in one contact with a provincial government employee, the staffer didn't know the difference between Elliot Lake and Elk Lake, Ont.
It was his analogy to explain the difficulties often experienced when the City tries to communicate with Queen's Park.
"I have zero interest in phasing in. This has been explained by different ministries, and all the different architectural firms. It never happens. Phase Two never happens. Either you build all, or you build nothing," Marchisella said.
"It has a lot to do with cost increases and changes of accounts or changes of the committee members that just drop the ball. That's more expensive due to fees. And also, what's on paper isn't always accurate," Marchisella added.
Referring to building everything new, he stated, "At one point, the taxpayers, all of us, save $1.2 million a year. But there's a cost savings, there's efficiencies and operating, of say, half a million."
"Well, that's down to $700,000 now. So we need to look at increases. What are we spending on those those facility updates that we're doing right now, the repairs, the band aids, the lipstick on the pig that we're doing year after year? Because those are gone for the next 20 to 30 years," concluded the Mayor.
Councillor Chris Patrie said in light of Council's commitment, he saw the study of the curling club as a waste of money.
"I know it's aging, I'm aging. So, to waste $50,000 for a report to tell us that we're going to do something that we already agreed that we want to do. I think it's just a bad spend of taxpayers money so I'm not in favour of doing that," Patrie said.
"But we do have to have the conversation of how we're going to be able to find a facility to move forward, to do the whole thing as a big picture," Patrie added..
"And then, the $7,500 to BDO, they're going to do it on today's market. If we don't end up building this facility for three to five years, you're gonna have wasted that $7,500 because you're going to have to redo it in three to five years."
Patrie concluded, "The one (cost projection) we have now is from 2017 and we want to change that because it's outdated."
Councillor Ed Pearce said he is pleased that Council is discussing supporting the curling club, which he said the curling club is the oldest building in the city.
"The deal that we've talked about with the curling club has always been If they came into the Hub. We take over their facility, we would own the property; make a decision as to what we want to do with it," Pearce said.
"That's in effect what they would be contributing to the Hub, is that land and that building. So, if that's the case, we should know what we're getting," added Pearce.
Councillor Norman Mann said the discussion merely covered old ground.
"Personally, I think we had already made the decision about the curling club a couple of years ago. So I'm not sure why we're talking back and forth about it - are we or are we not?" Mann said
"So my concern moving forward will be about the numbers. We're going to have all these small amounts, getting added to a bigger pie and at the end of the day we're going to have to have a very frank discussion on the number," Mann concluded.
Councillor Tom Turner questioned the BDO spending project review.
"When we received the recent report from the architects laying out proposed options for the sports complex, there were options that included two pieces, rink and pool, and then additions, and in stages. So, can we ensure that BDO addresses that in the financial review?"
Councillor Sandy Finamore said, "I think we need to find out now. I don't think we need to find out later."
"We can decide after we find out all the information what we were going to do," Finamore added.
Turning to CAO Daniel Gagnon, Finamore said, "we asked you to bring forward all the information that you can now so we can make the decision now about everything. And I think this is all part of that."
"I don't see how we can move forward to look at facilities and not look at all the options."
Gagnon told Council the geotech drilling rig needed for a site study for the Rec Hub project, is expected to be available sometime in January.
Council voted overwhelmingly to conduct the Curling Club assessment and seek the latest BDO Hub costing projections, with Councillor Chris Patrie casting the lone "no" vote.