1947 replies to this topic

[Jacques Cadé]

The City has $197 million in reserves, according to page 59 of the 2017 annual report, posted at https://www.victoria...ual-report.html. $131 million is in the "equipment and infrastructure replacement fund". Sounds like a lot, but much of that goes to new police cars, etc. And as you note, a bunch of it is being tapped for the fire hall. It's hard to know how much can be allocated to the pool before it starts affecting other parts of City operations.

[Midnightly]

shouldn't reserve funds be set aside for emergencies, things that happen that the budget isn't big enough for? or an unexpected expense (for example snow removal.. some years the city goes wildly over budget other years not so much)   you never want to eat into your reserve funds unless it's a need... along that note.. does anyone know how much the city has sitting in reserve funds?

 

has reserve funds partially paid for the overage of the bridge?

[Mike K.]

$36 million is the firehall budget. But that doesn’t include the potential sale of 1234 Yates.

[Midnightly]

The City has $197 million in reserves, according to page 59 of the 2017 annual report, posted at https://www.victoria...ual-report.html. $131 million is in the "equipment and infrastructure replacement fund". Sounds like a lot, but much of that goes to new police cars, etc. And as you note, a bunch of it is being tapped for the fire hall. It's hard to know how much can be allocated to the pool before it starts affecting other parts of City operations.

 

 

thanks for posting.. and i agree $131million doesn't go far when you consider what it is to be used for.. like upgrading infrastructure (the city plumbing which i remember reading has been underfunded too long)

[spanky123]

Before we start reallocating reserve funds, the City needs to understand what its actual infrastructure deficit is.

[Nparker]

What spanky123 said.

[Victoria Watcher]

this council really has no idea what it's doing.  one proposal has them taking away arena parking lot space to build it. or the rap parking lot.  or or ...

 

if you have already decided it does not need to go in central park, then open your eyes to a much wider relocation.  who says that quadra and caledonia is best for a pool?

 

City looks at building new Crystal Pool on same site; no pool for 2 years

 

https://www.timescol...ears-1.23453626

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 05 October 2018 - 05:32 AM.

[Bingo]

Even though the design of the $69.4-million new pool facility is essentially complete, Mayor Lisa Helps said she doesn’t view the latest move as backtracking. Instead, she said the city is exploring options with the neighbourhood to ensure the city has “a social licence” to build a new pool in the neighbourhood.

Coun. Ben Isitt pushed for more analysis of potential sites outside the park....

https://www.timescol...ears-1.23453626

 

This land at Hillside and Blanshard is still in the neighbourhood.  Let's make a deal for it.

 

[Victoria Watcher]

why not make a deal with an existing full-time school?  what school would pass up the opportunity for a pool/gym onsite to partner with?  i see lots of spare land at vic high, central, landsdowne.

 

how about the sears building?

 

what about the super 8 parking lot?

 

a joint saanich/vic/ymca facility at the bowling alley site?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 05 October 2018 - 06:25 AM.

[spanky123]

 

this council really has no idea what it's doing.  one proposal has them taking away arena parking lot space to build it. or the rap parking lot.  or or ...

 

if you have already decided it does not need to go in central park, then open your eyes to a much wider relocation.  who says that quadra and caledonia is best for a pool?

 

City looks at building new Crystal Pool on same site; no pool for 2 years

 

https://www.timescol...ears-1.23453626

 

 

Not to mention that they have already spent millions of dollars on design and planning for something that they now appear to want to shelve.

 

No impact on Government funding? What about the gas tax monies that expire early next year? Everything going to be ready to go and funded by then?

[Jacques Cadé]

The City is running out of time to come up with alternatives: the deadline for applications for the first round of federal-provincial infrastructure funding is January 23. If the City is serious about a different design in a different location, the newly elected council will have to make some big decisions very quickly.

Methinks this is just a political move to quiet the neighbours temporarily, and get the pool off the table for the remainder of the election campaign.

Edited by Jacques Cadé, 05 October 2018 - 06:46 AM.

[spanky123]

^ There is no doubt that it is a huge topic. Even people who are not living in the immediate area are concerned about the pricetag.

[Mike K.]

Meanwhile the YMCA...

[spanky123]

Meanwhile the YMCA...

 

Probably back on the table.

[Cassidy]

...... facility at the bowling alley site?

This would be far too intelligent for anybody currently occupying City Hall in the COV.

 

But a full size, state of the art pool/recreation facility on a decades old, city block sized vacant lot (the Mayfair Lanes site) would make far too much sense, what with its potential for more than adequate parking, zero interruption to any existing facility for the two year construction period, and probably a dozen other things I'm too lazy to ponder.

 

Such forward and common sense thinking just doesn't happen with the current COV crew.

[Bingo]

Meanwhile the YMCA...

...it's fun to stay at....

[Bingo]

Probably back on the table.

...the pool table.

[Nparker]

Is the former Mayfair Lanes site not in Saanich?

[Victoria Watcher]

does it matter? it’s on the border.

[Hotel Mike]

The unfortunate thing about the Mayfair site is that people would have to drive or take the bus to get there. That is a disincentive to using the facility. What is good about the current location is that people in at least one neighbourhood can and do walk to the pool.