Town council opened up the treasury to the tune of $350,000, last night, to shore up infrastructure projects. The expenditures are from town reserves and will not impact the bottom line of the 2018 budget.

Crossing platform - $225,000

Council OKed taking $225,000 from its road rehabilitation reserve to replace the CP track crossing platform on 5th Ave. to complement the paving and concrete project now underway.

Rick Deans, senior manager of infrastructure services, told council the existing platform is failing and recommended it be replaced with the new concrete retrofit now being installed by CP at other locations, including the Centre Ave. crossing. CP and its contractors are the only ones allowed to complete such projects and the price was provided by CP.

With approval in hand, Deans says they are asking CP to complete the project sometime in September so the town can complete the balance of the project this fall before temperatures drop too low. However, he points out, the town doesn't control CP's schedule.

"This is important to us because we need to come back and finish the paving up to the tracks," Deans told council.

Saying it makes sense, Councillor Alex Reed made the motion to proceed that was unanimously supported by other councillors.

The paving project on 5th Ave. had sped along quickly with minimal interruption to traffic flows and has been aided by long stretches of warm and dry weather. Today, the crossing is closed to allow for line painting.

Kitchen Servicing - $125,000

Town Council approved taking $125,000 from the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre (SLSFSC) facility lifecycle reserve to complete the kitchen services for the yet undeveloped restaurant/lounge that overlooks the curling rink and Totem ice rink.

The idea of developing a restaurant/lounge is still the preferred use for the area and was part of the original concept of phase IV of the centre, but no company has stepped forward to lease the space despite ongoing efforts.

Functions, like the Senior Super Squares Bonspiel, have had to work around the lack of a kitchen in the upper lounge for their social functions. The area offers a view of both the curling centre and Totem One arena.

Robin Mitchell, SLSFSC general manager and executive director, explained to council the lack of the services to the kitchen has been a stumbling block. In fact, all 32 companies who were giving it consideration all expressed it's a cost they are simply unable to justify because they have no hopes of recovering funds invested in the building's infrastructure. The idea of cost-sharing the installation of kitchen services has also been soundly rejected.

Questions were raised by council as to why the work was completed during construction of the expansion. Mitchell explained other leaseholders were required to complete their own servicing but that same approach has not worked in filling this space.

The 900 sq. ft. kitchen area space is an empty shell at this point. There are no drains, no plumbing/water, no electrical, gas, sprinklers, HVAC for ventilation or shaft. Those same conditions applied for other leaseholders in the building but no one has been willing to sign on the dotted line for the upstairs space.

Mitchell says they believe there is a market for the space and hockey, soccer, swimming, curling, ringette teams and others have expressed a desire for such a location within the confines of the centre. He also believed it would be utilized by participants of such special events as wrestling tournaments of the Cochrane Cowboys.

The centre hopes to negotiate a lease that over time would reach the desired $25 per square foot.

Councillor Patrick Wilson and Morgan Nagel were opposed to the expenditure. 

Wilson had earlier expressed he believed the issue should be addressed during the 2019 budget deliberations. Nagel believed the funding would be unfair to other restaurants in the community, some of whom are struggling, and it would be viewed as an inappropriate use of government funds to support a private business.

Others viewed it as a last resort to find a tenant.

Mitchell says he will now take council's decision to the facilities board of directors. Pending approval there he will be pursuing quotes and hopes to see the project start within the next few weeks. While work is being completed he says he will continue to negotiate with potential leasees.

The aim is to have a tenant in place for the start of the curling season in October.