Gateway site, sale of Pointe Des Chenes discussed at budget session
Wednesday, October 24, 2012 by: Brad Coccimiglio
.jpg)
The first of a pair of public input sessions scheduled for the month of October took place on Tuesday night at the Korah Branch Library inside the West End Community Centre.
The City Finance Committee hosted a public budget input session on Tuesday night which was attended by 10 citizens as well as a number of members of city council.
The session allowed those in attendance to share ideas with the committee and council members in attendance on how to generate addition revenue or help the city save money
The discussion came to a debate from Monday nights council meeting in which the possibility down the road of Pointe Des Chenes Park being put up for sale was brought up.
A request for a report that would outline long-term alternatives for the facility would be looked into.
The Gateway site was also brought up as something that could generate possible revenue for the city, depending on how the site was developed.
The meeting, which lasted just under two hours, generated some interest from the public as ideas brought forward to the committee will be discussed as the budget committee prepares Sault Ste. Marie’s 2013 budget.
The next public input session is scheduled for October 30 at 7 p.m. in the Russ Ramsay Board Room at the Civic Centre.
Other possible meetings could be added, though none are scheduled following the October 30 meeting.
Those who can’t attend the session can submit ideas to budgetinput2013@cityssm.on.ca and can do so up to December 14, 2012.
Note: Comments that appear on the site are not the opinion of SooToday.com. Keep discussions civil and on topic. Refrain from obscenity and don't post anything that your grandmother would be ashamed to read. Those who do not abide by these guidelines will have their membership revoked without notice. If you see an abusive post, please click the link beside the post to report it.
moosehunter2 10/24/2012 1:16:42 PM ReportSELL SELL SELL!!!! LMAO!!!
Just Curious 10/24/2012 3:00:41 PM ReportTold you,if they are talking about it someone wants the land,and it won't be for a campground OR public beach..Shades of Gros Cap....What a city......
Just Curious 10/24/2012 3:00:45 PM ReportTold you,if they are talking about it someone wants the land,and it won't be for a campground OR public beach..Shades of Gros Cap....What a city......
geterdun 10/24/2012 7:13:46 PM ReportLets do it the liberal way PRIVITIZE!!!! it!!!
yea thats it sell it for a buck to a liberal who will in turn build condos and have all their friends move in .It will be just fabulous!!!!!! OMG I cant wait!!!!!!!
kottage Keeper 10/25/2012 7:27:35 AM ReportPoint Des Chenes has been a special place to visit for all families young and old.There is an excellent beach close to town.Not many cities have this advantage.
The trailer park is normally booked year round.I would think if the rates where raised for camping and a $2.00 parking fee added for day trippers this would generate revenue to assist with expenditures.
If the city wishes to wash there hands of this property then the fair thing to do is to release the title of this property back to the Batchawana band. Im sure they will make a good sustainable park for all to enjoy for years to come.Maybe this even might be part of the Robertson treaty.
Point Blank 10/25/2012 8:31:31 AM ReportI would gladly pay a parking fee, if it were used to clean up the place. It's disgusting!
Just Curious - Gros Cap is a privately owned parcel of land and the owner has every right to keep the public off the property - just like you could on your own property!
As far as the Gateway site goes...it's a joke! By the time they get around to developing it, I'll be dead...and I'm not that old!
The've had a couple of legitimate opportunities to develop the parcel in the past, before they built the Essar Centre, but Fratesi shot them down. In case you haven't noticed, he is a bit of a control freak! Instead, they wasted time with that Garforth, or whatever his name was.
As far as the City saving money... perhaps they should stop paying for outside consultant reports and start having the city engineers, planners, etc. do their own research and recommendations. Isn't that what we are paying them for? If they aren't capable, then replace them with someone who is! Or, maybe the fact is, that we don't need nearly as many of these high paid city employees altogether!
They could also reduce the pay to city council and the mayor (you know...Debbie Who???), since they do very little anyway!
jcrecruit 10/25/2012 9:20:51 AM ReportSell a public family park? This merely confirms what kind of people we have inhabiting city council.(But we can give them benefit of the doubt and assume it was merely tabled by the public.) To even suggest something like this speaks volumes about what these people are all about. Unless public scrutinizes municipal spending every step of the way, they are more apt than not to exploit whatever assets(including surplus cash) they can lay their hands on.(Algoma U donations, etc.) What? is this park not being used by the general public? Instead of haphazardly throwing or donating money to every whimsical venture these folks may dream up, they need to give account for all monies forwarded. The PUC buidling is a perfect example. Why spend millions on a buidling when the electrical grid is in dire need of upgrading? Why build a hospital for $500 million and jeopardize essential services. We still lack critical care personel for heart, stroke, brain, and cancer. Unfortunately the modus operandi of "build it and they will come' doesnt work in private enterprise.But then again government operates with an open check book, since they do not make money but merely collect it. McGuinty stepped down because of similar fiscal blunders or has created enough residual income and decided it was time to go sailing. They want to sell something..sell some of the empty buildings or underutilized ones,or those that are not included in the annual financial reports. This park was either given to the city or purchased via tax dollars, not government monies cuz they have none.Do we really need more acre estates? Why sell something that is used by productive income producing, positive GDP generating families in need of a close water facility and park. Studies confirm that without positive, cohesive family unities there is no economic growth..period. The park enforces,encourages family bonds; and myself and others have used it for decades. Dont let them do it or even consider it...Ten years straight worth of property tax increases and they still want more...and they will always want more if not held fiscally accountable.
speed7 10/25/2012 11:51:21 AM Reportjcrecruit I aggree with some of what you said but the Hospital No. Sorry. Without a new hospital we would be back in the dark ages. No Radiation Bunker means going to sudbury week after week . Do you know how tiring it is to travel back and fourth to sudbury when you are sick? No I think the hospital was needed. The property is spacious and expansion is possible once funding is available.
I dont think a park is what we need. We needed some large developement around that area like a bigger casino hotel entertaimnet complex. A big clean up of those old houses off the bridge. We have a huge park already? The Gateway is not going to happen. If anything happens it will take years and years. Transfer payments coming to the sault are what drives things to get done in this city. But council needs to start fighting for it. Not just sitting idly by waiting. No progress as per usual. Meanwhile every municipality around us is growing. Pretty sad.
1/4 horse 10/25/2012 12:29:01 PM ReportLets see we just finished an indoor soccer arena slash community center.At the tune of what 26 million dollars?I'm really not sure of the finale cost but I know it was up there.Before that 60 thousand tax payers were held ransom for the essar center for 3000 Greyhound fans.I also have witnessed snow plows and graders throwing sparks down the road when there is no snow in site and watch road crews fix the pot holes on said roads in the spring.[I have never heard council talk about those costs.]But now there is a park that is there for every body to enjoy needs repair [and the city is only paying for half by the way]at the cost to date of 90,000 dollars plus an additional 70,000 dollars and they want to sell it?There has to be thousands of families that have enjoyed this place and have fond memory's.All to be taken away because council has no use for it.I think time would be better spent trying to think of more ways to earn money than than to except one time income from the sale of something.[You can only sell it once].I can't help to think why does council have so much trouble with money and have to cut costs.Years ago we didn't have the additional income from a casino like we do today.And yet the city wasn't worried about cost cutting back then.Even when Algoma steel was bankrupt and couldn't pay it's taxes did we have to cut costs like now.
Today it's Pointe Des Chenes Park,whats next to go,Bellevue park?
Note: Comments that appear on the site are not the opinion of SooToday.com. Keep discussions civil and on topic. Refrain from obscenity and don't post anything that your grandmother would be ashamed to read. Those who do not abide by these guidelines will have their membership revoked without notice. If you see an abusive post, please click the link beside the post to report it.
