Tay council will play with the idea of an expansion at a community park if it fits the budget.
The sentiment was common around the table Wednesday when Deputy Mayor Gerard LaChapelle presented a request from an ad-hoc committee, which wants to determine the cost of covering up a ditch in the park to put in a 50x80 asphalt pad, without reducing the size of the existing rink.
Coun. Barry Norris said had he known back when the swale was being put in, he would have questioned it then.
“I didn't realize we're having a full swale all the way through; I thought it as being piped down,” he said.
“If we were going to put the rink back to the original size,” continued Norris, “how is the county going to do that with a swale that size? If I'm not mistaken those boards would be half way in the ditch, or am I wrong in my assumptions?”
Bryan Anderson, manager parks and recreation and facility services, said the township did come to an agreement with the county.
“Instead of (the county) putting the boards back up, we received $15,000 from them,” he said.
Anderson also answered Norris’s question.
“What is there now is the exact size of the rink as it was before,” said Anderson. “That ditch starts beyond where the rink was in previous years. This committee is looking to fill the ditch to move the 50x80 pad back so the rink can be 125 by 80, which it currently is with temporary boards.”
LaChapelle said this council had agreed to accommodate a pad at the location, mainly for pickleball and Canada Day celebrations.
The pad right now only has 31 feet available, he said, noting the rink loses 10 feet unless the ditch is covered to accommodate the pad's full length.
Mayor Ted Walker said he could not recall council having approved a pad for the location and asked if the committee could submit in writing what it wants done in the area and the cost it will come with.
“We don't have a whole lot of money to be thrown around,” he said. “Yeah, some of these things will be nice, maybe they won't happen this year, maybe they'll happen in a future year.
“I'm in favour of looking into it but not approving it 'til we can see what kind of a budget impact it has,” added Walker. “As you know, we're pretty tight budget-wise as we will be next year.”
All elected officials agreed to have staff look into the cost of infilling the ditch with the understanding that approvals will only be made if the budget allows for it.
