Apr 2010

The City of Portage la Prairie’s cost estimates for keeping the Centennial Arena open as an ice rink are way off, according to a new report compiled by a representative of the ice user groups in Portage.

Shane Moffatt, who worked in conjunction with the Portage Minor Hockey Association and other ice user groups, spent about nine months compiling the Portage Centennial West Rink Business Proposal and Cost Comparisons study, which he plans to present to city council at its meeting April 12.

“I’m hoping city council will have a really hard look at it,” Moffatt said in an interview Wednesday.

According to Moffatt’s study, fixing the west rink in Centennial Arena would cost just over $54,370.

That is a big difference compared to what the city’s Department of Recreation and Leisure Services had estimated in its Portage Centennial Arena Assessment and Ice Demand Study, which was released in August 2009 and reviewed by the Portage Regional Recreation Authority.

Moffatt also looked at the city’s study and found the cost estimates to be exorbitant.

“What I found in there were some numbers that were very high,” he said.

http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2524473

Apr 2010

The Portage Terriers and the Portage Regional Recreation Authority have come to terms on a two-year agreement for the junior hockey club’s tenancy at the PCU Centre.

The deal comes after a lengthy bargaining process, and ends with both sides coming away satisfied with the terms outlined.

“It’s been a long negotiation,” Terriers’ president Dale Deschouwer said Tuesday. “It’s nice to get it over with. Now we can get back to doing business, start selling season tickets, and start getting ready for next year.”

PRRA executive director Jennifer Sarna said she felt the deal kept the best interests of both sides in mind.

“We worked back-and-forth between our negotiating committees, and came to what I would consider a good starting ground — that is a point for them to recognize that we’re a willing partner at the table to make them successful, as well as still make sure that we’re responsible for our operating cost,” she said.

http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2523785

Mar 2010

Portage Regional Recreation Authority (PRRA) has a new leader to continue work on fundraising for the PCU Centre.

With over $3 million raised so far, the goal of Mandy Dubois is to continue to generate funds for the centre to help bring the amount raised to over $4 million.

“I am very excited about this new position,” said Dubois on Friday. “I have been excited about the PCU Centre ever since they decided to build it.”

Dubois’ official title is the funding development officer and she will be taking over her new role on Monday.

http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2459317

Mar 2010

By Tara Seel, Tara’s Two Bits, Guest Columnist

The PCU Centre is a good thing. Sure, there are concerns among Portage la Prairie residents about a multitude of issues surrounding said centre, but the idea, on a whole, is a good thing.

Increased taxes are not a good thing, especially when we were promised that would not be the case. City council assured us the PCU Centre would not cause taxes to rise, and now, after announcing a whopping 7.5 per cent tax increase, they are scrambling to assure us it is not the fault of the PCU Centre that Portagers are going to have to dig deeper come tax time. According to Coun. Dave Quinn, the city needed to work in a 6.4 per cent increase to cover rising costs, including a $265,200 increase in salaries to firefighters and RCMP. This seems a bit farfetched, considering consumer prices only rose 1.3 per cent in 2009, according to Statistics Canada, and consumers paid less for energy in 2009. Doing the math, city council is telling us that while the rest of the country only saw a 1.3 per cent increase, the City of Portage la Prairie saw an increase five times that much?

Let’s break it down: According to Quinn’s numbers, a one per cent tax increase equals roughly an extra $85,000 for the city. So, the increase in salaries would be 3.12 per cent. Add the national rate of 1.3 per cent, and that is still only a 4.42 per cent tax increase, not 7.5 per cent. I’m perplexed. What is causing the math to not add up is what city council is vigorously denying: the PCU Centre, which is what caused the increase in debt financing and the extended rental contract at Southport pool.

On top of that, council has worked into its budget the development of Second Street N.E. It’s a wonderful idea, and one that would benefit the city. However, why would they tackle this project when a massive project is still underway and has yet to be paid for? As my dad would say, we can’t even afford a free lunch at this point. Yet, here we are planning a budget that sees unnecessary spending increases while putting the onus on the already financially burdened citizenry.

What’s done is done, and the PCU Centre is a done deal. It will bring much benefit to future generations in this city. However, further development is not an option right now. Now it is time to realize the burden we face and start tightening belt buckles, which the city appears to be trying to accomplish by cutting the position of Manager of Tourism and Special Projects, a position there solely to bring money to the city. Again, I am perplexed.

The scary thing is that there are always cost overruns, which we experienced with the PCU Centre. How is this going to be handled in next year’s budget? Another tax increase? With this amount of money being asked for, we need some straight shooting from those asking for it. It is unbelievable that the steep jump in taxes has nothing to do with the new multiplex. We’re in this together, and the solution is not to stand firm behind promises made on campaign trails. The solution is to put all the cards on the table and come up with some ideas that aren’t going to have Portagers struggling to pay their bills.

We will survive, but is mere survival enough?

http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2455399

Mar 2010

By Earl Porter, Portage la Prairie
Updated 2 months ago

Our city’s taxes are going up a whopping 7.5% or $650,000 this year. That is the largest one-year tax increase in recent history.

The shortfall next year after operating the multiplex for a full year to the tune of $1.7 million will make this year’s increase pale in comparison, not to mention any budget overruns which are inevitable. This council has not been upfront with the taxpayers of Portage la Prairie regarding costs, and I’m afraid we are all in for a big shock when the smoke clears.

The multiplex is a beautiful building and one future generations will enjoy, but it hasn’t addressed the ice shortage problem that exists in the city. The pool is simply an indoor Splash Island and is inadequate for our swim club, which, I might add, is the largest financial supporter of a pool they can use. And last, how will the Portage Terriers survive after losing $90,000 in profit from the concession they ran with volunteers in the old rink.

These are questions city council should have addressed before construction started, but their shortsightedness has failed these user groups.

A lot of taxpayers are upset, even angry with the situation, but the building is up, it is what it is, it is where it is, and we will make the best of it.

Thanks for the budget speech, Coun. Quinn. I believe this confirms council’s level of integrity.

http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2447923

Mar 2010

By Bill Knott, Portage la Prairie
Posted 2 months ago

Portage la Prairie city council has proposed a 7.5 per cent increase to an already massive budget.

Coun. Dave Quinn, chairman of the finance committee for the past 12 years, needs to answer a question: When were the citizens of this city consulted?

All councillors and the mayor, in this civic election year, need to ask themselves this question: Will I run in October and get elected if I vote to approve this budget, when I have consulted nobody in the city?

At a council meeting last year, Coun. Dave Quinn stated the city had, at some time ago, had public meetings but no one came, and it was a waste of time.

That justifies not having public consultations before presentation of a budget?

If this council and mayor pass this huge 7.5 per cent increase in the annual budget, knowing that the national inflation rate is less than 2.5 per cent and that the Bank of Canada prime lending rate is 0.5 per cent and that loans are available for 2.5 per cent, then the citizens of this city should rise up in October and throw these rascals out! All of them.

If this is real, I say “Go! You have served your time!”

Bill Knott

Portage la Prairie

http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2445609

Mar 2010

Property taxes are set to go up in Portage la Prairie by 7.5 per cent.

City of Portage la Prairie council introduced the increase along with its Discretionary, Capital and New/Additional Services 2010 Budget at its regular meeting Monday.

Along with the tax increase, the city cut the position of Manager of Tourism and Special Projects effective Monday.

The budget also provides money to close the portion of Second Street N.E. between Saskatchewan Avenue N.E. and Prince Avenue to vehicle traffic to help promote the main entrance to the William Glesby Centre.

It also promised to spend money to get the city’s operations department up to date and increase in the Portage and District Library’s annual grant by $15,000.

Coun. Dave Quinn, chair of the city’s finance, legislative and property committee, said in his 2010 budget speech that this was easily the most difficult budget he’s worked on in 18 years of municipal politics in Portage, 12 of those spent as the city’s finance chair.

“I am pleased to say that, even though this was probably the hardest budget process I have been through both as a member of the budget committee and its chair, I believe we did the right thing for this city,” he told council during his speech.
http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2440434

Feb 2010

Hometown heroes Doc Walker are to return to their stomping grounds in Portage la Prairie to help open the Portage Credit Union Centre.

The award-winning country band will play the centre Sat., April 3 as the first official music act in the brand-spanking new venue.

“They’re excited to come back and play at home,” Portage Regional Recreation Authority (PRRA) executive director Jennifer Sarna said.

While the PRRA is funding the concert, it has partnered with the William Glesby Centre, which will offer its expertise in booking and organizing a concert, and the Portage Industrial Exhibition Association, which will be learning how to host a concert in preparation for its shows during the Portage fair.

“They want to help us and learn how to run a concert at the PCU Centre,” Sarna said.

The show, named Doc Walker — Coming Home, is being billed as a community celebration and will also feature Shane Yellowbird and Deric Ruttan, who will join Doc Walker on-stage to perform a selection of the band’s biggest hits.

http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2283790

Feb 2010

More than $3 million has been collected from donations for Phase III of the Portage Credit Union Centre project in Portage la Prairie.

“People are still able to contribute and we still need people to contribute,” said Jody Fletcher, who was the co-chairwoman on the fundraising initiative.

The original goal for fundraising was set at $3.4 million when the PCU Centre was to only have one hockey arena but was later raised to $4.1 million when federal funding for a second arena, the Portage Mutual Arena, was secured.

Fundraising efforts through the three phases of fundraising, including selling the naming rights of the facility, corporate donations and individual donations have raised over $3 million to date, Fletcher revealed, but there is still approximately $400,000 to go to get to the original goal of $4.3 million and after that another $700,000 to reach the final $4.1 million goal.

The co-chairwomen on Phase III, Fletcher and Roberta Christianson are now stepping down to allow the fundraising campaign to continue through the Portage Regional Recreation Authority, which is still fundraising through its website.

http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2273455

Feb 2010

Phase 3 fundraising for the Portage Credit Union Centre is now in somebody else’s hands.

Jody Fletcher and Roberta Christianson had spent the last 15 months heading up the Phase 3 Fundraising Campaign for the centre but their volunteer commitment ended on Dec. 31, 2009.

“It was a huge, huge commitment,” Fletcher said of her and Christianson’s time at the head of the fundraising campaign. “At times it felt overwhelming but it was lots of fun.”

The two have now handed over the reigns of the fundraising campaign to the Portage Regional Recreation Authority, which is still fundraising through its website.

Fletcher noted that while the co-chairs have stepped down, the fundraising still continues.

“People are still able to contribute and we still need people to contribute,” she said.

http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2271587