Powell River Regional District directors support the concept of a regional recreation commission but acknowledge that creating one may not be a simple task.
Following the presentation of consultant Gary Young’s regional recreation initiative survey at the Thursday, July 17 committee of the whole meeting, directors entertained a recommendation for proceeding.
The recommendation stated: “That the committee recommend to the regional district board to seriously entertain a regional recreation service and solicit the acceptance of such from the public.”
Area D Director David Murphy asked what was meant in the recommendation by “seriously entertain.”
Al Radke, regional district chief administrative officer, said that his initial investigation shows that every electoral area has a recreation service. Based on the bylaws that are in place, all it would take to create the commission would be a board amendment.
Colin Palmer said he did not believe that Area B has a recreational service.
“They have never voted to be taxed for recreation,” Palmer said. “It’s a big difference between that and having grants-in-aid.
“I won’t vote for this motion as it’s worded. I think the last part is the critical thing right now, to solicit the acceptance from the public. It is very important that the public does not get the idea right off the bat that it’s a done deal and we are going to have a regional recreation service.”
Palmer said the regional district might end up with that but he thinks the public has a right to know what is in the report. He added he likes the last part of the recommendation that suggests soliciting the acceptance from the public.
There are some problematic components, Palmer said. First, the public has not read the report and does not understand the implications of everything in it, he added. He does not think the public knows the big picture.
Area B is problematic. Lasqueti Island, Area E, is out of the picture, because of the inability of its residents to use regional recreation facilities. Texada Island already has its own recreation commission and is paying a high dollar compared to other areas, Palmer said.
“Area B does not have a recreation function,” Palmer added. “Nobody is taxed for it. Somehow, Area B people have to figure out if they want to continue on the way they are going, or, do they want to vote for a recreation service and be taxed, and to what level?”
Palmer said if Area B turns down a recreation referendum to be taxed, then Area A and Area C are going to be carrying the load.
The other challenge is the City of Powell River, which is a different form of government.
“My concern is I don’t want to stand in front of the public and say we have a regional recreation service, we just voted on it,” Palmer said. “I’d like us to have a motion that says, to the effect, that we’ve received the report and that we have a consultation process to create an action plan. Then, we can go to the city and ask what they are doing. We can go to areas A, B, C and D and ask what they are doing. There is going to be a lot of communication to the public just to explain what it’s all about.”
Palmer said he was not trying to slow the process down and he was not being negative.
“I think that recreation commission idea is wonderful,” he said. “There is no recreation commission anywhere but on Texada. If it was a regional service and there was a recreation commission, that’s great, but I really think we have to get to the public somehow.”
Palmer said it is important for the public to read the recreation report and talk about it.
Murphy said the motion should be changed to reflect that the report has been received and that the regional board should consider seriously entertaining it. Murphy said there should be discussion about the matter at the rural services committee.
“It means us getting financially involved with the city,” he said.
City of Powell River representative Maggie Hathaway said the motion should just state the board is considering a regional recreation service. She added that the regional district needs a strategy to roll it out to the public for input.
City representative Jim Palm said a recreation strategy on a regional level has been long overlooked.
“Surely, if we are working towards talking about a true partnership between the city, the regional district, Sliammon and other entities, I think it’s a time to look at this motion, adopt it.”
Palm said he totally agrees with Palmer’s comments that lines of communication need to be opened up, involving the public in dialogue, to go slowly, and collate all of the facts before the matter is considered at any length. “A lot of work has to be done first.”
The board introduced an amended motion to receive the regional recreation initiative report for information, and consider entertaining a regional recreation service, and to solicit acceptance of such from the public. The committee of the whole carried the amendment.
