In an effort to renew its working relationship with Rocky View County (RVC), representatives from the Chestermere Regional Community Association (CRCA) proposed a plan on May 5 to upgrade its recreation facilities.
RVC’s relationship with CRCA was “excellent” for more than 30 years, said Grant Kaiser, manager of communications for RVC, during the Policy and Priorities Committee meeting.
However, in early 2014, he said RVC found the activities of some CRCA board members “highly questionable,” including members participating in leasing deals with people and companies they were connected to, hiring consultants without a competitive selection process, and dealing with facility staff in a manner that, according to Kaiser, “may have resulted in lawsuits.”
Until the summer of 2014, when RVC requested the board of directors of CRCA resign and surrender their lease of the Chestermere Regional Recreation Facility, the County had been providing the CRCA with $200,000 a year. Those grants have been suspended until the conflict of interest situation is resolved.
“We would like to reinstate that funding,” said Mel Foat, president of the CRCA. “We have elected a new board and eliminated any conflict of interest that may have been there before. We want to be very transparent, work with administration, and make this work.”
Board member Jeff Colvin presented the committee with the CRCA’s plan for their facility over the next five, 10 and 15 years, aiming to provide more amenities for residents “both urban and rural.”
“As you know, that area has quite a bit of demand (for recreation facilities),” Colvin said. “There’s not much in the area besides our recreation centre until you get to Strathmore. It’s been quite a while since the facility has been updated, so we want to get new ideas and (have it) updated for everyone to use.”
Colvin said the group is looking to upgrade the parks space, exterior amenities, and redesign the facility’s interior. CRCA hopes to develop new indoor fieldhouses, tennis courts, basketball courts, and extend the parks space to be more functional for the site – which would require a re-routing of the road adjacent to the facility.
“We’ve spoken to the golf course, which owns those lands, and they have indicated their support of the concept,” Colvin said.
“We are currently talking with different governments about it to see how they feel about our ideas.”
In addition to the improved amenities, Colvin said the board hopes to enhance the interior of the facility to create space for more leasing.
The upper area holds offices that could be used as rental space for sports associations, community offices and other sports facilities like cross-fit or yoga studios.
“This type of development does not require the construction of a new facility. It’s taking advantage of what we have today and making it more useful,” Colvin said.
“This will create revenue for the facility, obviously with the hope of it being self-sustaining at some point. Essentially, we want to create some change and make this facility better for all users.”
The County has outlined the conditions required for grant funding eligibility, according to RVC Communications Co-ordinator Amanda Bradley.
The CRCA is expected to meet those conditions by May 15 and submit a funding request for a June 11 review by the Regional Recreation Board, who will then make a recommendation to RVC council.
