Wow….just a few days have passed and I feel like the party has come and gone. I want to make one point clear, I am NOT trying to avoid posting responses to your questions, but instead, I have been busy meeting and talking with citizens that are not on Facebook as well. This Facebook site was initiated as a way for any citizen to post topics of conversation and engage in dialogue. Over the next month, and hopefully beyond, it will continue to be an online forum where people can respectfully share thoughts and ideas on how to make our community better. I will also endeavor to post my ideas and responses to questions and topics, within a timely manner. This most recent post, on Sunday/Monday, started around my thoughts on a new recreation centre. Then some other folks commented on wanting waterslides and field houses. Then another poster commented on the ‘millions and millions’ we keep pumping into the existing recreation centre to just keep it running. Well, the one point I want to come back around to is - what do we truly need here as a community. I want a lot of things myself, but then all of a sudden reality sets in and I must take a look at what I can truly afford (no Porsche for me). The best way to look at all the items/purchases is a “Life Cycle Cost Analysis”. Something we all do everyday day in our personal life. How much do I have to keep pumping into my old beat up truck before I realize it would have been cheaper to just simply buy a new one (or in my case, slightly used). As a community, we need to first clearly understand the real issue’s with our recreation centre from engineering reports and financials. Then move to what are the “needs” versus “wants” through public engagement. From basing a conversation on facts, I believe a community can come together on a common vision. All of this effort does not need to take generations or years to complete, however it is required in order for us to truly understand the cost and impact on Hintonites. We can’t just expect to go and request grant money from other levels of government; we can’t just drastically raise everyone’s tax bills; we can’t max out all of our credit (we don’t have much room left); and we can’t knock on corporation’s doors for donations without having a solid plan and vision. Let’s get the facts out there. Let’s properly plan it out and engage everyone to truly understand the ‘need’. Let’s make sure we all understand the ‘real’ costs to our annual property taxes and then come up with a real plan to move forward. At the same time, let’s get some growth happening in Hinton so we can increase our tax base to better support such a project. What we need is real facts, real needs and real money. Rob Mackin
Posted on: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 04:06:00 +0000
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