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Clive seeks funding for new multi-use building

A partnership in Clive is looking for $77,000 from Lacombe County to fund what they say is a much-needed facility.

A partnership in Clive is looking for $77,000 from Lacombe County to fund what they say is a much-needed facility.

At a regular meeting of Lacombe County council last week, Louise Bell and Luci Henry, representatives of the Clive Multi-Use Resource Centre Partnership, approached council with a request for funding a new Multi-Use Resource Centre.

The new facility will be used to house a number of organizations including the library, Neighbourhood Revitalization Association (NRA) and Neighbourhood Place.

Bell, who had presented to council before regarding the same initiative, began by naming some of the partners involved in the project and stressing the need for a new facility to house them, in particular, the library.

“We feel a great need for a space for our library and community programming,” said Bell. She went on to say that accessibility to the library is currently quite difficult, as the library is located in the basement of the Village of Clive offices. Bell said that Clive’s library requires a “Warm gathering place” to serve both the residents of Clive and those of the outlying rural areas.

Bell also provided council with an update on the project, saying the initial location desired for the multi-use facility was no longer available but that the partnership had found another suitable location in the fire hall catering building.

She said this building is also appealing as it is in a central location downtown and near the school, thereby supporting the downtown core as well as the youth.

Henry also commented that the new preferred location is over 400 sq. ft. larger than the first and significantly cheaper, bringing the total price of the project to under $300,000. She added that the operational costs of the facility are projected to be fairly low with an average monthly cost of about $600 which Henry said would be easily managed by the partners involved in the project.

“We really do feel that the project is both viable and very sustainable,” said Henry. “I think this project is just another great opportunity for us to work together to continue to provide those exceptional and essential services that not only the Village of Clive residents enjoy but most certainly the county residents enjoy as well.”

Council seemed generally impressed by the work put into the project so far as well as the presentation made by Bell and Henry.

Comments by council were generally supportive even with a few of the councillors still having questions about the project.

Councillor Keith Stephenson wanted to know if there was the possibility for the Multi-Use Resource Centre to join with another project currently underway in Clive to build a new hall. Henry said that option was seriously considered but determined not to be a viable course.

“I think their project is serving a very different need than what ours is,” added Bell.

Councillor Brenda Knight agreed. “I also see the hall and this project as two very separate projects,” said Knight. “Quite frankly I don’t see them as being competing either.”

Councillor Rod McDermand also voiced his support for the project, commending the partnership for the work done so far and thanking them for answering council’s previous concerns about the usage of the services by county residents.

He also said that, were it the case, he would have been prepared to vote in favour of funding the same day.

Council will not be making a decision on the matter until their next meeting on May 29. In the meantime council has voted unanimously to accept the presentation as information.

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