By Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice
When it comes to the deputations made prior to the Chatham-Kent Community Hub decision Oct. 21, the nays outweighed the yeas.
The hub would see the municipality shift services and staff from the Civic Centre, the museum and the Chatham branch of the C-K Public Library into the former Sears building.
Chatham-Kent council heard a total of 21 live presentations, one on Zoom, and they also reviewed 24 that were emailed in.
The length of the live deputations was reduced to 2.5 minutes from the normal five minutes to accommodate the volume.
Also on the agenda was a lengthy question-and-answer period, a presentation on the hub by design firm Architechttura Inc., and comments from councillors, culminating in a long, drawn-out affair lasting more than four-and-a-half hours.
Concerns expressed through the deputations ranged from the fear the hub will increase taxes; a lack of detailed costing, confusion, and an “us versus them” mentality.
“I’m not in favour of the project and I would like to pause it because I am confused,” resident Jan Boyle told council, adding the people he’s spoken with view the hub as a “nice to have,” not a necessity. “We all exercise fiscal restraint in our personal lives. We’ve come through a rough time, we choose to repair our houses, maintain them, not scrap and start over.”
Boyle said the municipality should have fixed the civic centre instead of letting it fall into disrepair.
“It’s not appropriate when mistakes are made to go back and ask for more,” he said.
Anna Cairns also expressed her dismay.
“Why are you doing this,” she questioned. “Why are you spending our hard-earned dollars on this kind of project when there are pressing life-threatening projects that need the money more?”
In her comments, Sarah Tanner of Dresden took issue with the fact there’s been no concrete costing for the project, telling council the hub is “not needed.
“We’ve lost a lot of things with amalgamation,” Tanner said. “This just seems like it is going to be more that’s lost.”
Cathy Cottingham, chair of the Tilbury Area Action Committee, said it’s nice to hear the positivity around the hub, but she wonders if it will have a “negative impact” pushing residents financially to a “point they can no longer take.”
Some of the heavyweights from the ag industry weighed in. Long-time farmer Bill Parks was especially vehement in his criticism of the mayor and council, calling council’s actions shameful.
Kent Federation of Agriculture president Brad Snobelen told council the rural community is “deeply concerned” with the large expenditure of the hub, noting C-K has pressing rural infrastructure needs.
“While building a new civic centre would be nice to have, it’s certainly isn’t a need to have,” Snobelen said.
A number of the deputations also took issue with the fact that no town hall meetings were held, citing a lack of community engagement.
Others criticized the fact that councillors and staff didn’t attend recent town hall meetings organized by the public.
However, it was pointed out several times by administration that a very detailed community and stakeholder engagement process has taken place regarding the hub, including a Let’s Talk Survey that had 1,000 responses.
Two open houses were also held and all of the information to date is available to the public on the municipal webpage.
Support for the hub was expressed as well, including that of Rob Myers, a member of the group of developers that sold the Sears building to Chatham-Kent.
In his comments, Myers told council a vote against the hub was a vote for stagnation.
“If we simply renovate the civic centre, it adds zero value to the city,” he said.
Myers, who operates a number of C-K business ventures, said he employs taxpayers “like himself.
“I’m not looking to increase my employees’ taxes, nor my own,” Myers said. “I already pay plenty, believe me.”
Myers told council that if the hub moves forward, he intends to help restore Tecumseh Park to its former grandeur, adding he will pitch in his own money.
Katie Goulet, executive director of the Chatham’s Historic Downtown BIA, said she is “exceptionally excited” for the new hub, noting it will spur foot traffic, new business and job opportunities. The acquisition of the 175-spot parking garage will help alleviate the downtown’s current parking shortage, she added.
Property manager Lynn O’Brien also spoke in favour of the hub.
“It is unfortunate about the misinformation that’s been spread about the wonderful opportunity that is in front of you,” O’Brien explained to council, noting the project isn’t just for Chatham. “It’s for all of Chatham-Kent.”
