GRAND BANK, N.L. — Mayor Rex Matthews says Grand Bank town council will be armed with as much information as possible before making a decision on a town hall.
That may mean officially polling residents, he said during council’s meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
“I can see like down the road there’s going to have to be a plebiscite,” Matthews suggested to fellow councillors.
“It’s unfair for seven people sitting around a table to do things without all the information (they need).”
Grand Bank shuttered its municipal centre last May due to the condition of the building and resulting safety and health concerns for staff.
A consultant, Fougere Menchenton Architecture Inc., has been hired to conduct a feasibility study exploring the options available to the town, including renovating the old municipal centre or another existing structure in the community, building a new town hall, or remaining in its current location with some upgrades.
The town is presently renting 2,000 square feet of office space in the former federal building on Church Street.
Matthews pointed out the Municipalities Act gives towns the power to conduct plebiscites, a vote of all members of an electorate, on important public issues.
A plebiscite is not binding, like a referendum, and council would not be required to act on the results. Depending on turnout, however, it could help accurately assess the desires of residents.
“People who worry, I don’t have any input in this, hey, you will,” Matthews assured during the meeting.
Fougere Menchenton held a public consultation on Monday, Feb. 10 as part of the feasibility study.
Much of the discussion at the session centred around the need to include community space in a town hall project. Some worry was also expressed about taking on a big financial responsibility, given the aging demographics of the town.
Matthews said Monday the town is financially stable at present, but council must continue to spend prudently. Ultimately, whatever decision is made, it will be the town’s taxpayers footing the bill, he said.
The public consultation will be just one piece to help inform council’s final decision on how to proceed on the town hall matter, Matthews said.
“We’ll have a lot more paper on our desk than we got now,” he said of the information gathering process.
