Dear Beagle Editor, It's not correct that councillors can but choose one of the two options put forward in next Tuesday's meeting agenda.
To name just a few other choices, Councillors can make amendments to bring the proposal in line with the community's wishes, they can demand that they be given the opportunity to endorse or otherwise the (phantom?) Draft Pools Strategy on which Otium's plan is based or they can chuck it out altogether.
Sensible things for councillors to do would be to introduce amendments to -
- include a 50 metre pool in place of the 25 metre pool in Option 1
- insist that the report shows estimated depreciation and borrowing costs so that they, Councillors, are not blind to the full consequences of the decision they are being asked to make
- include a condition that should grants be obtained, the existing community centre and visitor information centre be sold as soon as practical when the new facility is available and proceeds be used to reduce the loans for the new facility
In any case, if some of the state funding is for sporting infrastructure, how would the proposed Option 1 qualify when the Otium report quotes from a phantom unapproved draft Pools Strategy that clearly nominates the Narooma pool, which is 50 metres, as the shire's competitive swimming venue? Name and address provided
