(continued)

Kincardine fitness centre has a leg-up on the competition, says Gym Bags owner
By Liz Dadson

Kincardine Town Council

To Comment on this article Click Here

Nestor Koturbash is upset that Kincardine's Davidson Centre fitness room is being subsidized by tax dollars and providing unfair competition to private fitness companies.

The owner/operator of Gym Bags in Kincardine brought his concerns to Kincardine council in committee-of-the-whole Wednesday night (Nov. 18). He believes the municipality should be providing basic recreation and fitness equipment and programs to the masses, and allowing private business to cater to the affluent.

Quoting from the municipality's Community Needs and Feasibility Study from March, 2009, Koturbash said the people most likely not to participate in fitness programs come from low-income families, homes with lower-educated parents, and young single-parent homes. Those most active, fit and healthy in the community are the more affluent families, he said. "Today, the rich folks are fitter, healthier and eating better, and the poor folks are not."

He said installing upscale fitness equipment at the Davidson Centre means taxpayers are subsidizing the affluent to use that equipment rather than go to a private gym. "What's the difference between six skipping ropes and six state-of-the-art treadmills?" he asked. "More than $35,000, plus $3,000/year in increased operating costs. But there is no difference in terms of effectiveness as exercise training tools."

Koturbash said the new fitness room at the Davidson Centre has nine pieces of upscale fitness equipment which cost about $40,000. What could a community centre have done with that kind of money? he asked. The municipality could have hired six summer students or two full-time program leaders to promote and deliver physical activity outings for local shut-ins, the elderly, the unemployed and the disabled. "Or, more simply, helped the disenfranchised and unfit in our community," he said. "Or with $40,000, a community centre could equip an entire 7,500-square-foot gymnasium with dozens of skipping ropes, box steps, stability balls, floor mats, hand-held weights, etc., cheaply and cheerfully."

He urged council to sell off the upscale, high-end equipment at the Davidson Centre, and form a community-based, ad hoc committee to draw up a sport and physical activity plan for the benefit of all citizens and stakeholders in the Municipality of Kincardine. He volunteered to sit on that committee.

Without due co-operation between the public and private sectors to find a level playing field, Koturbash said he would have to launch an extremely aggressive and comprehensive public relations campaign, and launch an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) appeal for property tax refunds/credits.

He has already presented this proposal to the recreation committee and received a less-than-favourable response.

Councillor Guy Anderson said Koturbash would not be able to sit on an ad hoc committee because he would have a direct conflict of interest. "I don't mind talking about new fitness programs but when you start dictating how it's to be done or you'll start a PR campaign and go to the OMB, then I have a problem. There is no guarantee the recreation department is going to sell all its fitness equipment and buy skipping ropes and stepping boxes."

"You're better to speak to the committee as a delegation," said mayor Larry Kraemer. "Under the Municipal Act, if an issue affects your business, you have to declare a pecuniary interest and remove yourself from the discussion."
 

 

 Councillor Marsha Leggett said she would like to find out how the Town of Goderich dealt with the installation of fitness equipment in its recreation centre. "It's fully equipped with everything and is open from 10 a.m. on, and it's used by everybody who has a membership," she said. "Do their local fitness companies feel like they're being cut out because of what Goderich has?"

"We can send this report back to the recreation committee for discussion," said councillor Ron Hewitt, noting to Koturbash that Kincardine is not a town which is how he referenced the municipality in his report.

"That's just semantics," said Koturbash.

Deputy mayor Laura Haight said she found the presentation somewhat offensive. "So, if you're poor, you're not allowed to use certain equipment?" she asked. "It's a challenge, municipally, not to compete directly with private sector providers. We don't want the recreation department implementing programs that are already available."

She said the municipality does not just supply recreation for the poor. "It's important to try and find a fitness level that meets the needs of all the people in the municipality."

"If the library started selling lattes, I'm sure Books and Beans and Coffee Culture would be here making their voices heard," said Koturbash.

"The municipality is providing access to fitness programming and equipment in a number of areas," said Haight, "such as the bike park, trails, the pool, ice surfaces, playgrounds. We don't target on a class basis, it's about the greater good."

"So, you admit you're competing with fitness centres in town?" asked Koturbash.

"Not directly but on a secondary basis," said Haight. "We sell coffee at the Davidson Centre so we compete, secondarily, with Tim Hortons and so on. We provide first issue books at the library so we compete, secondarily, with Fincher's and Condor Books. The municipality supplies these services for the greater good of the residents, not for business and profit."

Kraemer suggested sending the issue back to the recreation committee and having Koturbash talk with the committee about rates and fees and how the impact on private business can be minimized.

'This did come to recreation," said Anderson. "I don't mind looking at things, but if we raise the rates so we're not competing with private business, we penalize the poor segment of the population who can't afford to go to those fitness centres. Do you want a two-tiered system?"

The consensus around the table was "No."

Councillor Kenneth Craig said the Davidson Centre is supposed to be for "all ages, all interests, all abilities."

"I can see why he (Koturbash) is upset," said councillor Gordon Campbell. "We need to make it fairer. He's a taxpayer and he's subsidizing fitness at the Davidson Centre. We should check into Goderich and other areas."

Council agreed to send the matter back to the recreation committee.
for world news, books, sports, movies ...

Saturday, November 21, 2009