City to pursue second federal grant for new outdoor pool

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

· $1,989,150 from next year’s parks and rec capital budget · $2,205,967 from the 2025 parks and rec capital budget $10,000 from the RM in 2026, 2027 and 2028

This is city hall’s second attempt at procuring federal funding for this project after learning in July that its application to another initiative was unsuccessful because the number of applications exceeded the available funding.

The parks and rec department estimated last August that the project could cost $8,999,434. It then budgeted $8,700,800 for the initiative in its five-year capital funding plan. This means the project has increased by $1,397,133 since council approved that plan in December.

This extra money is not budgeted and is something the city would have to find if this application is successful.

The federal government will cover 60 per cent of costs while the municipality is responsible for 40 per cent, director Derek Blais said during the meeting. However, the city only budgeted for 33 per cent of eligible costs based on the previous application.

One reason the cost has increased is that the Green and Community Buildings Program recommends having an 18-per-cent contingency for class C estimates, whereas the project’s previous budget had a 10-per-cent contingency, he continued.

Therefore, the additional eight per cent adds $720,000 to costs.

There is also money within that to relocate a storm line that runs below the proposed new changeroom. The city could also explore using geothermal to power the building.

“We feel the contingency will help us support the new design to be net-zero (in carbon dioxide production). There might be some additional costs associated with that, so we feel the 18 per cent might help,” Blais said.

An “integral component” of the GCBP is that the municipality must design and build the new venue to be net-zero. That means the building must be highly energy efficient, producing — or procuring — on-site carbon-free renewable energy or sufficient high-quality carbon offsets to address the annual emissions from building materials and operations.

If the application is successful, the pool season would open next year around May and close in early August, Blais said. Construction would begin that fall until freezeup and then re-start in June 2025. The pool season would then open the July long weekend until late August.

Projections in the new pool’s annual operating budget suggest revenues could increase by $61,000 and expenses decrease by $123,000, leading to annual net savings of $184,000, he added. A big part of the reductions would be $47,750 in utility savings from having a net-zero building.

City to spend nearly $300K to upgrade six major outdoor sports venues

The parks and recreation department plans to spend nearly $300,000 this year to upgrade several major sports venues, including Memorial Field, Blackwell Diamond, Optimist Park and Parkhill Park.

City council voted unanimously during its Feb. 27 regular meeting to prioritize the six projects this year identified in the Outdoor Sports Fields Renewal Program. Those projects — worth $298,000 — include:

Replacing the Memorial Field grandstand ($175,000)

Adding a new batting cage and Learn to Play diamond benches, painting light poles, and replacing bullpen fencing and foul poles at Optimist Park ($30,500)

Creating new bullpens and fencing top caps at Blackwell Diamond at Kinsmen Heights Regal Park to enhance future event-hosting opportunities ($22,000)

Adding new parking lot and pathways at the Western Development Museum (WDM) ball diamonds ($49,000)

Removing the old paddling pool and damaged batting cage at Optimist Park ($20,000)

Installing a new park entrance sign at Parkhill Park diamonds ($1,500)

Furthermore, the department plans to address several maintenance issues using its 2023 operating budget:

· Installing new corner pins for field lacrosse at the

1996 Summer Games Field

· Removing outfield tree roots, pruning trees and repairing the outfield fence at Memorial Field Pruning trees at Ross Wells Park and Parkhill Park

· Levelling the infield shale at Bell Park and Optimist Park

· Repairing and painting bleachers and repairing outfield turf at Optimist Park

· Anchoring the dugouts at WDM diamonds

· Designing new cross pitch and nets at Veteran’s Peace Park soccer fields

Meanwhile, parks and recreation has included annual funding for sports field renewal in its five-year capital plan, including $50,000 in 2024, $75,000 in 2025 and $100,000 in 2026 and 2027.

The projected cost of all projects identified in the renewal plan is roughly $6.5 million, while only $600,000 is available over the next five years.

“This plan is important because the majority of our sports field were constructed in the ’70s, ’80 (and) ’90s, so we’re getting into that 30-year range … ,” director Derek Blais said during the meeting.

“We need to keep our eyes open for any type of partnership opportunity moving forward. It’s not going to be sustainable for the city to fund 100 per cent of these projects.”

The City of Moose Jaw has more than 60 outdoor sports fields, with many constructed through community fundraising initiatives and legacy funding projects after hosting major events, a council report explained. The department began developing the Outdoor Sports Fields Renewal Program last year after meeting with stakeholders and user groups to identify their current and long-term priorities and completing condition assessments for each site.

Furthermore, the department launched community consultation activities to acquire feedback about a new parks and rec master plan. A household survey determined that upgrading baseball and softball/slo pitch diamonds were residents’ top 10 priorities.

Last year 13 major user groups with 2,540 registered participants accessed the city’s outdoor sports fields, the report continued.

Of the 60 sports fields, city hall operates and maintains 13; third-party groups operate five leased city fields (Hamilton Flats, Eddie Moore Park, Memorial Field, MacDonald Athletic Park and Ross Wells); and 20 belong to the two school divisions.

Council says no to plebiscite or referendum on proposed school site

City council will not hold a plebiscite or resident-led petition for a referendum on the joint-use school’s proposed Westheath location, despite Jan Radwanski’s best efforts to convince members to do so.

The city cannot pursue Radwanski’s suggestions mainly because municipalities can only hold plebiscites or referendums on matters within their jurisdiction, according to The Cities Act, city administration said during the Feb. 27 regular council meeting.

Furthermore, Prairie South and Holy Trinity Catholic school divisions and the Ministry of Education chose the location, a power that The Education Act grants them. That Act also prevents municipalities from affecting location choices since it’s outside their authority.

City administration added that a plebiscite would be pointless since its outcome would be non-binding and contrary to the legislation.

Coun. Heather Eby said she wanted a new school soon, especially since it’s been nine years since Holy Trinity began planning for a new Sacred Heart.

“I’m not willing to have the South Hill children that I love continue going to schools that have bats and mice and (are) unacceptable places for them to go to school every day,” she added. “… we don’t have one-room schoolhouses on every corner anymore … or in every neighbourhood. We will have one school on South Hill and that is not our decision … .” Presentation

The city needs to hold a plebiscite or referendum because this situation involves the rezoning of city property for a large project, Radwanski said. It’s also important to have more public consultations.

The former Prairie South trustee summarized how the joint-use school arose, explaining that Holy Trinity wanted a new Sacred Heart building in 2014, Prairie South wanted a new school at Westmount in 2015, and the province said in 2017 the divisions could build a joint-use school on either site.

In 2018, the Prairie South board expelled Radwanski from his duties and committees because he wrote a letter to the Empire School Community Council explaining how a joint-use school would “eradicate” traditional kindergarten to Grade 8 education on South Hill.

“People asked me, what did you do as a trustee to get dialogue going? So, you can see what happened to me,” he said.

Radwanski reiterated his belief that the proposed site contradicted the Official Community Plan (OCP), particularly section 7.2.

That section says, “Institutional uses that serve the needs of more than a neighbourhood population or are of a size and scale that is not compatible with a residential environment shall be encouraged to locate in or near the downtown or other areas with adequate access to roadways and public transit, and where there is no significant negative impact on surrounding land uses.”

“So, I’ve seen no evidence of that encouragement by city hall or any councillors with the provincial government to be in a centrally located site,” said Radwanski.

A plebiscite or referendum is needed because of “the fiasco” that occurred during the Feb. 13 meeting when council voted on school-related bylaws, he continued. He pointed out that, under The Cities Act, abstentions — which the mayor appeared to do 16 out of 18 votes — are considered negative votes.

Radwanski added that the precedent council was setting could “spell doom” for the north-end schools since something similar could happen there.

Mayor’s response

In response, Mayor Clive Tolley said he voted in favour on Feb. 13, even though he may not have “overtly raised (his) hand” but did say “carried” because the bylaws passed 4-2.

He added that he apologized at the start of the Feb. 27 meeting for how he conducted that vote and the concerns raised with the results’ accuracy. Therefore, he thought this issue was closed.

“It’s legislation. It’s legislation,” Radwanski shouted from the gallery, which prompted a rebuke from the meeting chair.

Council then voted unanimously to receive and file the report and presentation.