An impressive sum of $20 million and Squamish's future amenities are at stake as Squamish residents get set to send a message to District of Squamish Council on Feb. 26.
Voters will indicate whether or not they are willing to pay more municipal tax to pay for new arts and recreational amenities through this month's referendum.
A lengthy and often heated debate between Coun. Corinne Lonsdale, Mayor Ian Sutherland and the rest of council Tuesday (Feb. 1) provided a prelude to the referendum campaign to come.
During the debate, Lonsdale shared the contents of a letter written by the executive of Squamish Baptist Church to the church congregation to seek feedback on early discussions to potentially partner with the district on a project. The church needs a larger space and it wants to find a partner so the building can be available for community use.
The letter made it clear the church is in early negotiations with the district to potentially partner on an amenity project.
Lonsdale said she knew nothing of the discussions until someone gave her a copy of the letter.
Pastor Doug McGuire confirmed that his congregation recently voted to move ahead with the discussions. McGuire said the congregation has outgrown the space inside the church at the corner of Mamquam Road and Highlands Way South.
Mayor Ian Sutherland didn't approve of Lonsdale's decision to read the letter aloud.
"I'm not going to comment on a letter sent out by the Baptist Church to its members," Sutherland said. "You're just making hay of this. I have no intention of talking about private conversations in my office."
"You need to include us [council members]," Lonsdale said. "We in the community have a right to know."
Lonsdale questioned Sutherland's leadership while Sutherland and councillors Jeff Dawson, Dave Fenn and Ray Peters criticized Lonsdale for holding the community back during her years as mayor.
"I was never a dictator," Lonsdale said. "I never acted on my own."
The debate centred on two motions Lonsdale wanted council to support.
Lonsdale wanted council to commit to delay spending any money if the vote is a positive one until voters approve a construction priority list in another referendum in November. Lonsdale envisions estimated capital construction and operating costs being made available for voters before her proposed second referendum.
Lonsdale also wanted council to be apprised of potential amenity project discussions or investigations the mayor and staff are involved in. Along with the information on the discussions and investigations, she wanted council to be informed of any potential amenity project partners.
"Another referendum is not going to get us to where we want to be," said Sutherland.
Fenn said he wants to avoid sparking debate between community groups over how the amenities come together but Lonsdale countered by indicating many residents want specific information on each individual project.
"We're asking them for a blank cheque and I think that is irresponsible," Lonsdale said.
"I would call it more like mortgage pre-approval," Dawson said in response. "What we are asking people is a reasonable question. There's no hidden agenda or hidden words."
Lonsdale wanted to continue the debate on her two separate motions but Sutherland cut her off when the mayor insisted it was time to vote.
None of the other council members voted in support of Lonsdale's motions.
Coun. Raj Kahlon tabled new motions after each of Lonsdale's motions failed. The first motion from Kahlon called on the district to conduct a public consultation process if the referendum this month is positive and the second motion called on the mayor and staff to allow council to review pending amenity agreements with potential partners. Council supported both of Kahlon's motions.
The debate at the council meeting further confirmed that as voting day draws near it will be difficult to get information on the concept. Very little information exists about the issue and there's no plan to generate anything between now and voting day.
"The idea was to do a bundle of amenities so if you do a bundle of amenities you can not, by the rules of the game, price individual components," Mayor Ian Sutherland said this week. The thought is one he has repeated many times since the referendum concept was presented. Sutherland doesn't know exactly where in the new Community Charter this is spelled out but he insists it is there.
Residents are being asked to say 'yes' or 'no' on Feb. 26 to the following question: Do you approve of the adoption of proposed "District of Squamish Public Amenity and Recreational Facilities Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 1849, 2004", which would authorize the District to borrow up to $20,350,000, for a term of up to 20 years, for the purpose of upgrading and constructing public amenity and recreational facilities servicing the District of Squamish?
"Our folks [municipal staff] were in touch with our lawyers on what you can and can not put in the question," Sutherland said. "The other choice is to do a referendum with ten individual questions but if you do them as a package it is a package."
If the answer is yes the following items could be funded: a new sheet of ice at Brennan Park, an arts centre, a seniors centre, a youth gym, a track with an artificial turf infield, a paved trail from Brackendale to Valleycliffe and a public use building.
There are currently no budgets available for each of the projects so there is no indication of how much will be spent on each potential project. There are no guarantees the projects listed will all go ahead.
When it comes time to spend the money, one or some of the projects on the list can drop off and projects not currently listed could be built.
Church has outgrown space, wants to work with partner for bigger facility
With two services full of worshippers every Sunday, Squamish Baptist Church is too large for the building they worship in, which is why church leaders decided recently to look for a partner in a new building to serve as both a church and a community facility.
The leadership team wanted the church's move to a larger space to lead to situation where the church could continue to impact the community, Pastor Doug McGuire said Wednesday (Feb. 2).
The current Baptist Church is used during the week for childcare before and after school. The group wanted to make sure community services like the childcare continued in the new space.
"We are the largest auditorium and we are not all that big," McGuire said of the church's current building.
The church, which seats approximately 225 people, is often used for music performances, including Sea to Sky Singers concerts and the Howe Sound Music Festival.
The idea of partnering with the District of Squamish came about following a breakfast meeting, said McGuire. Members of the Ministerial Association in Squamish met with the members of District of Squamish Council about a year and a half ago. During the meeting the idea of partnerships between the churches and the district came up.
McGuire said the Baptist Church leadership wants to see another church take over the large building across Mamquam Road from the golf course.
"We are probing the other church denominations," McGuire said.
He noted that the church is in the early stages of the planned changes. The congregation will vote on the key decisions as the church moves toward relocating to a larger space.
