Wellington North councillor Dan Yake believes it is time to bring someone in to help council to decide the fate of the old Mount Forest arena.
It is being replaced.
Yake expressed his concern Monday with the latest public meeting held to consider the issue. “I didn’t find it that productive,” Yake said.
While he realizes the importance of giving people the opportunity to speak, Yake did not leave with a clear idea of how council should proceed. The intent of the meeting was for citizens to present clear cut proposals, along with the costs that might be involved in completing those proposals.
Yake said council does not need to make a decision tomorrow, but it does need to make a good decision … “even if it requires bringing in someone to help – either a planner or a consultant.
“The current meetings are exercises in futility,” he said.
The meetings, he said, gave opportunities for comment, but in his opinion council is still left with no clear direction.
He believes council needs some help to develop between one and four plans that would still need to be presented to the public before council makes a decision.
Mayor Mike Broomhead suggested a resolution to bring in help be placed on the January agenda in order to give the rest of council time to think about it, and discuss the matter further.
Yake asked that the meeting be set early in the new year.
“We need to move ahead on this rather than have another public meeting similar to the one we just held.”
