WELLINGTON NORTH – The township’s recreation, parks and leisure committee is recommending the poor state of The Arthur and Area Community Centre roof be dealt with before it worsens.
There isn’t believed to be a safety risk with the roof’s current condition, but it has fallen into a state of disrepair known about since a 2019 report from engineering firm B.M. Ross and Associates Ltd. drew attention to problems.
The report, a 13-page document addressing proposed improvements to the community centre, suggested sloping for water drainage be modified, repairs be made to the roofing membrane, and that a new outer sheet be applied to the roofing membrane.
The report examined over $2 million in repairs to the facility, built in 1977, to be rolled out over three phases, but two grant funding applications – to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program and the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program – were unsuccessful.
Township interim CAO and operations director Matthew Aston presented a staff recommendation to the committee on July 5 requesting it recommend council approve money to take care of the roof sooner rather than later.
Staff are becoming “uncomfortable” with the roof’s current condition, Aston said, and want to pursue preparation of a tender for repair work.
The township’s 2022 capital budget doesn’t provide enough money for the extent of roof work township staff believe will be required.
This year’s capital budget allotted $125,000 from the tax levy to go toward community centre upgrades, but the roof’s condition has “become more apparent” since 2019, according to a report from Aston, recommending council focus on the roof and approve $350,000 to address it.
Aston explained the dollar amount is based on a $230,000 estimated cost for roof work identified in the 2019 report, plus additional engineering costs, with the price indexed aggressively each year since.
Given the last examination of the roof was completed almost three years ago, work would begin with another lookover, determining the extent of what truly needs to be done, which could increase repair costs.
Depending on what’s needed, work could be funded from this year’s budget and the next, but Aston said “if we could do it in 2022, we would like to.”
“A roof failure on a facility is fairly catastrophic,” the director said, noting leaking, for example, could result in additional damage to the building, driving up repair costs.
He suggested that a facility reserve fund with $450,000 and a capital infrastructure reinvestment reserve with $1.3 million be considered as appropriate sources to fund the roof work, but noted both numbers were unaudited as of the end of last year and may vary.
Committee chair and councillor Steve McCabe said he’s in favour of complete solutions, referencing the much-bandaged Lion Roy Grant outdoor pool in Mount Forest, since closed prematurely for the 2022 season.
“I would not want to risk having something happening in the fall or through the winter to completely close the arena,” McCabe said.
With Mayor Andy Lennox voting in place of absent committee member and councillor Dan Yake, staff’s recommendation was carried and will go to council at its July 11 meeting.
