Melfort Council is reviewing its plan to develop recreation facilities at Spruce Haven Park in the face of a budget shortfall.
With the current plans to add infrastructure and a skateboard park, both which have been tendered, operating costs for the city will increase around $16,650 per year. With all of the planned facilities, including a second ice surface, there would be a need for an extra $400,000 per year for operating costs and maintenance reserves.
The city’s staff provided three options for discussion: continue development as planned, cancel everything including the skateboard park, or revaluate the timetable for the facilities on the site that haven’t been tendered yet.
It was the cancellation of the skate park that caused the largest public reaction. Brian Enge led a delegation to tell council it’s a needed facility in the city at the April 10 council meeting.
“This park will attract people to Melfort and with our downtown business core and Stonegate being easily accessible, it will bring business dollars into our city instead of others and that is a great thing for everyone,” he said.
To cancel the skate park would also cost the city a minimum of $200,000, plus legal fees. To cancel the infrastructure would cost the city between $200,000 and $500,000.
“The impression I got tonight is we’re moving forward with the skateboard park and we’re moving forward with the originally proposed plan to build it to the specifications that were in the last resolution that was passed by the last council to proceed with that skateboard park,” said Rick Lang, Melfort’s mayor.
The mayor said the money currently devoted to the skate park wouldn’t affect this budget, since it’s capital and that was dealt with in a different budget, one that has already passed.
