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Town council votes $22,000 to resurface tennis courts

August 12, 2015   ·   0 Comments

Monday’s Orangeville Council meeting was not without its fair share of excitement. From presentations and questions, to high emotions, it would be hard to say that at least something wasn’t accomplished.

The meeting began with a presentation from the Orangeville Tennis Club seeking $22,000 (plus HST) to repair the current tennis courts at Rotary Park. According to club representatives, the purpose of asking the Town was because of a long-standing partnership in which the public can get access to the privately run courts, but only when it is requested.

Councillor Gail Campbell was one of the first to raise concerns over the request, largely because of a perceived lack of public access to the courts. “How much time [is available] and what are arrangements for the public to use this?” she asked. “I have difficulty in using Town funds for a club. I would just like to know what are your plans so everyone can use this?”

Mary Philp, part of the delegation from the tennis club, explained that they are not a private club, but a community club, so anyone who pays a fee can join.

“Funds that we collect from members are to cover costs like nets, windscreens, toilets in the clubhouse,” said Ms. Philp. “There are certain times and days that the club is open to the public. The courts are only locked to preserve them as much as possible. There are a number of opportunities for different groups to make use of it.”

Council was told that while time is available for public use, the gates are locked whenever members or a previously booked group are not present, so the public was welcome to use the courts whenever members are playing.

Although the project was on the Town’s  list of projects to be done, it did not make it into the 2015 budget, which means that in order to complete it this year, funds would have to come from reserves or slush funds in other departments.

Acting CAO Ed Brennan suggested that should the Tennis Club be willing to pay half the cost, $5,000 each might be taken from two separate sources, the Parks Fund and reserves.

Although Councillor Campbell was still hesitant to support the request due to the lack of public accessibility as well as the lateness of the request, she added that she would be willing to support it should an amendment be put in the motion to find ways to see more public access to the courts.

The final motion, which passed at six votes to one (with Councillor Scott Wilson opposed), stated that the Town of Orangeville would pay the $22,000 for the resurfacing, and the Tennis Club would repay the town $11,000 over an appropriately deemed period of time. Additionally, Town Staff will investigate providing more time for the public to use the courts, as well as to monitor during those times.

Also discussed at Council was whether  the Town should allocate a temporary place for the completed Bravery Park statue at Alexandra Park, until Bravery Park is ready for the statue. Council was told that at present, the committee cannot provide a timeline on completion of the park, as they are still seeking funds to complete the project.

Concerns raised over the temporary placement of the statue included the cost of building the base of the statue to the specifications laid out by the government, as well as that of moving the base and the statue once Bravery park is ready to receive it.

Currently, no estimates are available on the cost of putting up the statue, but a motion to temporarily place the statue in Alexandra Park carried.

While the majority of the evening made it through drama-free, one of the last items on the list caused a stir, and according to 101.5 MyFM, was the reason Councillor Wilson stormed angrily out of the chambers.

Toward the end of the evening, as Council dealt with resolutions, Councillor Wilson presented one that would force the Orangeville Police Service to report on the feasibility and cost of using the OPP’s rather than its own 9-1-1 answering service.

Mayor Jeremy Williams ruled the motion ultra vires (out of order), explaining later   via Facebook that Orangeville Council does not have the right to force the Police Service to do something, and the matter would have to be handled by the Police Services Board.

Although Mayor Williams gave Councillor Wilson an opportunity to withdraw his motion, the councillor refused, and the Mayor ruled the motion ultra vires.

During sharp comments from both parties, Councillor Wilson challenged the Mayor’s ruling, and in a vote on the ruling, four members of council supported the Mayor.

On Wednesday Morning, the Mayor posted an explanation from his point of view on the issue, but there has yet to be any public comment from Councillor Wilson. According to MyFM, Councillor Wilson declined a comment beyond saying he would be returning the issue to Council at its September 14th meeting.

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