Sudbury city council's 'fact-finding exercise' to focus on user fees for arenas, pools and fields

People in Greater Sudbury could know by year end if they will be paying out of pocket for using the city's recreational facilities. 

That was one of the things to come out of a three-hour discussion Tuesday night of a 130-page report looking at the services the city provides and how much they cost. 

The core services review is a 130-page report compiled by consultants KPMG, who made 100 recommendations, including a top ten list. City council decided to zero in on five of those.

Council voted to move ahead with a closer examination of the user fees charged at recreational facilities and on reaching a new agreement on how those facilities are shared with local school boards.

The remaining three and potentially more controversial options— privatizing the operation of ski hills, "rationalizing" the city roster of buildings and parks and an overhaul of city office and management systems— will be on the table for the Mar. 10 council meeting.

City councillor Al Sizer, who asked for the core services review in May, says the goal is not to make cuts, but to find a way to improve services for Sudburians.

"They want better service in different areas. They're also not happy with tax increases that we're passing on," he said.

"So here is our chance to take a look and the process is not finalized and nothing will be implemented unless the 13 people around this room agree to it."

City councillor Mike Jakubo also wanted to reassure residents that this review is just the first step in the process. 

"When we started down this path, when we approved this core services review we did so under the premise that beyond anything else and any decisions that we make this is an information exercise," he said.

"It's a fact-finding exercise, because we don't currently have all the information."

Jeff Pafford, director of leisure services, told council there isn't a comprehensive agreement in place between the city and the four local schools boards.

"Staff have periodically been meeting with representatives from the school board towards a framework for a new comprehensive agreement," he said.

He explained that school boards currently don't pay to use city arenas and school groups also use municipal fields and pools, while the city hosts some summertime playground camps in school gyms at no cost. 

On user fees, Greater Sudbury's Chief Administrative Officer Ed Archer says one of the main questions is how much of the bill for recreational programs should be paid by the people who use them and how much comes from property taxes. 

"So notwithstanding the charge to the user, what proportion of the services costs should be born by the taxpayer?" he said

"I think the important piece here is not necessarily a recommendation of an increase in costs," said Mayor Brian Bigger.

"I think it's just understanding what the full cost is and understanding what we are actually recovering, and what the actual cost is of each program."

Early on in Tuesday's meeting, Sudbury city councillor Gerry Montpellier called the core services review "shameful, deceitful" and "just another scheme to disrespect the citizens."

"As much as I check my dictionaries, the words 'cuts' and 'closures' do not come out as 'opportunities,'" he said.

His comments caused a stir among the other councillors. Mayor Brian Bigger called the comments inappropriate and inaccurate and demanded an apology.

Other councillors felt Montpellier was in breach of the rules of conduct of council and were in the process of voting to remove him from the meeting, when Montpellier finally offered an unreserved apology to the council members.

"So if I say 'I apologize unreservedly' I'm good? I apologize unreservedly," he said.