Festering problem

How long will council tolerate the incompetence of the leadership of its Recreation, Parks and Culture department? How bad must things become before council concludes that enough is enough?

Councillor Diane O’Brien and others suggest the County must look at selling the brand new Wellington and District Community Centre to spare ratepayers the outrageous amount it is subsidizing this facility

She is right to be upset. We all should be. It cost nearly $700,000 to operate this facility last year—$313, 693 of this bill picked up by the taxpayer. Utility costs were $92,000 over budget. A brand new building—built to modern and energy-efficient standards!

The answer, however, isn’t to sell it, close it or blindly pass along massive rate increases to the users of the facility to recoup these losses. Long before any of these measures are even considered,council must know that this and other facilities under RPC management are being operated effectively and efficiently.

It certainly knows this is not the case currently. It isn’t a new problem. Seven years ago in these pages I described how, for the first six years of amalgamation, taxpayers subsidized both arenas—Picton and the Duke- Dome—by an average of about $50,000 each year. Then in 2004 the tax subsidy for these arenas jumped, without explanation, to $206,403. Despite several critical articles, columns and letters, no explanation for the spike in the costs was ever provided.

Since then costs have escalated every year. Last year it cost taxpayers $568,357 to subsidize its arenas—10 times more than it did in 2000.

It isn’t just the Wellington facility that is in trouble. Taxpayers paid more than $250,000 to subsidize the Picton arena and community centre in 2011—again about 10 times the equivalent subsidy in 2000.

It is clear the problem isn’t the buildings themselves. One is older but its costs, operating sensitivities and maintenance needs should be well understood by now. The other is a magnificent new facility built to be efficient and, though larger, easier to maintain.

What is clear is that the RPC Department is in over its heads in operating these and other facilities. They simply don’t understand that they are in the customer service business—that the folks who call to book ice or rent a hall are the ones paying their wages and keeping the lights on, and that they have a choice about where to host their event or gathering. Customers and users aren’t the enemy or an inconvenience. This department has failed also to understand that they are in a competitive business—that they must market and sell their facilities in order to maximize their use and efficiency.

But RPC staff have nothing at stake in these facilities—nothing driving them to operate them well. Full or empty they get paid the same. In this operating arrangement, it is better that these facilities remain dark. Fewer complaints. No needy brides pestering them about details of their upcoming wedding reception. No requirement to run the Zamboni or even turn on the lights.

Seven years ago I proposed that if ever the Wellington arena had four hours of unbooked ice that they share this information with the Times and we would post it in the newspaper each week at no charge. Too often I walk into the arena during the middle of the day and the place is dark—and has been dark for a long while.

My offer was never taken up. It is simply not in department’s interest to maximize the use of its own facilities.

In its first stab at the budget last week, council members expressed shock at how badly these facilities performed in 2011. They shouldn’t have been surprised. They’ve known the problem for a long time. They hear it every week from individuals, groups and organizations that use these facilities.

When things get this bad it becomes difficult to avoid painting everyone with the same brush—and it is certainly true that many frontline workers in RPC care about their facilities and wish to provide a great service to their community.

But the culture in that department is poisonous and in time infects even the most diligent and inspired staff. In 2005 council made a half-attempt to reform the department. It hired a consultant, some new managers and even changed the name of the department. Yet it chose to retain the department’s leadership.

Council cannot continue to ignore management’s role in the disaster that has unfolded in this department. Nor can it make bad short-term decisions that affect users, and the viability of the facilities, because it is unwilling to do what should have been done seven years ago.

rick@wellingtontimes.ca