Get your swimsuits ready, Athabasca. The town and county have cleared the hurdle to building a new pool facility.
Get your swimsuits ready, Athabasca.
At a joint meeting June 7, the councils from Athabasca County and Town of Athabasca voted to accept a $15,295,000 bid to build the new pool facility.
In Athabasca County council chambers, the two councils voted separately to accept the bid from Clark Builders, “and authorize administration to enter into a Design Build contract.”
“I just really believe it's an amazing example of progressive thinking and working together, and collaborating for the greater good,” county Reeve Doris Splane said after the meeting.
“Based on the numbers I see here, I see this as very favourable on the Town of Athabasca,” Mayor Roger Morrill said during the meeting. “I see it (as) very affordable based on what the current rate would be (for) the debenture … That's something that will serve this community for years to come. I have no problems putting my full and total support behind this project.”
According to estimates in a town and county administration report, the total estimated capital cost of the pool and fitness centre project, including furnishings, could go as high as $16,381,915. Based on the 60/40 split – which councils agreed on in October – the county would pay $9,829,149 while the town would pay $6,552,766.
If the built-in “contingency” provided with Clark Builders' bid is not needed, the total cost would be $15,617,165. Based on the 60/40 split, the county would pay $9,370,299, while the town would pay $6,246,866.
The report also said total costs to date on the project are about $440,000.
Coun. Tanu Evans was the only town councillor to oppose the motion, while Councillors Jack Dowhaluk and Paul Ponich opposed the county's motion.
Dowhaluk pointed out that initially, the county was looking to spend $5 million on the pool. He said although he would “love a swimming pool,” the county should invest in other necessities, like infrastructure.
“Is that what we're doing – is building a swimming pool for doctors?” Dowhaluk said. “How about the farmers in Wandering River? How about the farmers in Caslan? Let's give our head a shake. You know, you look at the infrastructure in the eastern part of the county, and other parts of the county, it's deteriorated to a point where it's a total disaster.”
Evans noted that during 2014 plebiscite, town residents voted to support a debenture for a new pool up to $5 million. He said if council wanted to exceed that amount, he believed there should be another plebiscite.
“I'm just going to say I'd like it to go back to the town, the population of the town,” he said. “I think this project has gone above and beyond what this community needs for our size and our population. It's overkill. It's just kind of shocking that what was once a $10-million project has turned into a $20-15 million.”
For more on the story, pick up next week's edition of the Athabasca Advocate.
Editor's note: Athabasca County Coun. Kevin Haines was not present at the meeting.
