In a rebuke to ‘70s pop act “The Village People,” Pelham Town Council chose that it was not at all fun to stay at the YMCA during its regular meeting on Wednesday morning, March 22.
The group unanimously— minus Mayor Marvin Junkin, who missed half the meeting due to a prior commitment — voted to not to pay up to $500,000 in funding over five years to the Welland YMCA, almost two months after the organization came to council hat in hand, a figure that would have equated to nearly a one percent increase in Pelham property taxes.
“We cannot afford to drain our resources for a facility in another community,” Deputy Mayor John Wink said, chairing the meeting.
Councillors Wayne Olson and Bob Hildebrandt had less kind words about the Welland chapter of the 178-year-old worldwide community association.
“We don’t know enough about this organization, I don’t know what the financial structure is,” Olson said. “Their business model was failing before Covid.”
Hildebrandt said he gave up his own membership prior to the pandemic.
“I was part of the YMCA. The reason I left is their membership service levels declined [and] their costs increased.”
The Welland YMCA asserts that 21 percent of its members come from Pelham, which led its management team to ask the Town for funding during a Jan. 30 meeting. It was decided at that time that Pelham would wait for the City of Welland’s lead on the matter, while having staff prepare two options: Decline, or provide up to $500,000 funding over five years.
Welland approved funding for the YMCA on Tuesday, something CAO David Cribbs was witness to.
“I did spend last night watching Welland’s council meeting, and I’d just like to begin by thanking council for allowing me to work for the Town of Pelham,” Cribbs said to audible laughter. “The grass is not greener when you go slightly further south.”
The YMCA has had its challenges in recent years, competing with cheaper gyms. The St. Catharines facility— state-of-the-art when it opened in the ‘90s — closed last year.
Speaking after the meeting to PelhamToday, Councillor Wayne Olson reiterated his stance that the YMCA’s business practices hadn’t kept up with the times.
“We have examples in Pelham of successful business models,” said Olson. “Why would we collect taxes from Pelham and transfer them to Welland? I have requested a proper business plan and to date we have nothing. At a minimum, we should have been presented with a Balance Sheet and a Source and Application of Funds. We wouldn’t be meeting our fiduciary responsibilities to the Town [to approve the funding request without these details].”
In more successful recreational funding news, council approved a new lease and $25,000 in funding for the Fonthill Platform Tennis Club.
The club, which operates next to the old Haist Street arena site, has been operating under duress of sorts since the arena’s demolition, when that forced its water to be cut off.
Club president Terry Molkoski said the club was unable to qualify for a grant from the Ontario Trillium Fund last year because it didn’t have a long-term lease agreement in place with the Town. The new lease will qualify the club for the grant this year, according to Molkoski.
The $25,000 municipal grant will come out of the Town’s water and wastewater reserves.
Odds and ends
—Council approved the purchase of a new pumper tanker fire truck at a price tag of $922,314. Originally budgeted for $900,000, the Town’s RFP only received one bid submission. Delivery of the truck is expected by 2024.
—Members also approved a staff proposal to convert the safety feature around the storm pond at River Estates Park into a pollinator garden with wildflower plantings. A temporary snow fence currently encircles the pond.
—The meeting marked the first for interim Town Clerk William Tigert, who is filling in while Clerk Holly Willford is on family leave for the next 18 months.
