Who and how the future Multiplex aquatics facility should be run is up for consideration.
While still a full year away from completion, general manager of municipal infrastructure Lisa de Soto said last week the Town wants to examine various service delivery models.
“Council has identified in their business plan that we need to look at opportunities for partnering with the private sector in the delivery of services,” de Soto said. “As we move toward opening the Multiplex, council asked that we look at options for delivery of (aquatics) services.”
However, instead of conducting an internal review on the subject, the town will put out a request for proposals for a third party to undertake the work.
The call for proposals is to evaluate and recommend service delivery models including municipal, private sector, not-for-profit society and enterprise.
“We thought it was best to get a third party report prepared,” de Soto said.
Staff have already been looking at various models of providing services for this type of facility.
In Calgary, for example, many centres use a society model where a community association operates the facility.
Cochrane’s Spray Lake Sawmills Family Leisure Centre is operated under that model.
Very few municipalities in Alberta currently contract out the service to a private company. The City of Lethbridge, said de Soto, is very happy with the service provided by Recreation Excellence.
In fact, staff and Councillor Jim Ridley went to Lethbridge recently to meet with the private sector company and city officials, tour the facility and review the contract in place for recreation facility management.
A third and final option is an enterprise model. Similar to the Canmore Community Housing Corporation or the Canmore Economic Development Authority, de Soto said the model would see council establish an arms length board of directors to manage and run the facility.
“We want to have an independent analysis looking at the Canmore market and our labour market,” de Soto said, adding the evaluation should also provide details of the efficiency of each model, service levels and challenges other communities have faced.
Meanwhile, administration is still preparing its proposal call for a sponsorship campaign and food services.
The Town of Canmore contracts out several services already, including snow and ice removal to Volker Stevin and water and wastewater treatment to Epcor.
This year the Town is looking for requests for proposals from the private sector to provide parks services and it recently contracted out preparation and training of the municipal emergency plan.
