Al4- The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, August 21, 2002 No rush to have vote on multiplex approval, says Terrace mayor MAYOR JACK TALSTRA says talk.of a possible referendum to approve canstruc- tion of a multiplex here is premature. If there is a vote on the project, he says it won't happen this fall when voters go to the polls ta elect anew city coun- cil. “If there’s ‘a referendum, it won't be in | November,” he said. “It just becomes po- liticized and I don’t think it’s 4 good idea.” Talstra also said a quick vote wouldn't allow for time to find other sources of money to further reduce the hit to local taxpayers. The issue has been rekindled since the city was told in June it will get a federal- provincial grant.to cover up to $2 million worth of the multiplex. It gives new hope to locals-who have for years been pushing for a second sheet of ice here, but comes at a time of high economic uncertainty and trepidation for local taxpayers. City officials have been trying to de- termine whether the 1999 referendum on the multiplex -in which city voters ap- proved but rural voters rejected borrowing up to $7.6 million -— gives the city author- ity to borrow ils share, With $2 million coming from senior governments, the project's cost is cut to $5.6 million. That's around what the city was going to have to pay, with the regio- nal district taxpayers contributing the rest. City chief administrative officer Ron Poole said he hasa’t got a clear answer on whether the 1999 referendum vote on the issue is still valid. Municipal affairs ministry officials in- dicate the length of time that has elapsed is not the issue, he said. The problem, Poole said, is that the referendum question asked city voters if they supported borrowing money to build the multiplex “with the participation of the regional district.” If the city proceeds with the project now without the participation of rural tax- payers, the 55 per cent approval of the Your Best Deal ona New 2002 LEASE FOR PER MO, - /48 MONTH LEASE $5,400 DOWN OR PURCHASE FOR $36,517 question by Terrace vo- ters might then be inva- lid. “Wei may have to get a fe pal opinion,” he said. To proceed without one, Poole said, could leave the city vul- nerable to a court chal- lenge by multiplex opponents ability to levy Jack Talstra that might quash the city’s taxes for the project. Talstra says there’s no rush, The $2 million federal-provincial grant doesn’t have to be used until 2006, he noted. That allows plenty of time to explore other sources of money. He said one option is a renewed look at private-public partnerships. Under that model a private developer could build and perhaps run the multiplex and the city would either contribute to operating costs or subsidize the purchase of ice time on behalf of local users. The city did examine that possibility before. It rejected it then on the basis the city would lese too much control over the fa- cilities. Talstra also says the city didn’t like the Alberta-based proponent’s track record with other projects. But Talstra said it may be time to re- visit that, noting there have been suc- . cessful private-public partnerships else- where in B.C. The design approved for the 1999 re- ferendum included a second sheet of ice, double gymnasium, meeting rooms and other facilities. 2002 4Runner Badlands 3.4 L, V6, DOHC, 24 valve, sequential multiport electonic fuel injection, air canditioning, AM/FM CD, power remote control mirrors, styled steel wheels, Dunlop all season radials, power windows, tilt steering. 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