Coun. Bondy unable to get answers
By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
When it comes to costs associated with building a new Chatham-Kent Community Hub or fixing up the Civic Centre, Michael Bondy has questions.
The Chatham councillor wants to know why he can’t get more information from administration regarding estimates for both projects – that put the cost of revamping the King Street building significantly higher.
Numbers put out by the municipality when discussing the project estimate it will cost $444 per square foot to create the downtown hub, compared to $850 per sq. ft. to bring the 49-year-old civic centre up to code.
A motion asking for a breakdown was submitted for review at the March 17 meeting and was on the agenda, according to Bondy. But in the afternoon, prior to the meeting, Bondy was informed by staff the motion wouldn’t be discussed as it was “repetitive.”
Bondy said he was told financial details on the hub are already being reviewed based on a motion asking for a cost breakdown made by South Kent Coun. Anthony Ceccacci last October. The matter is expected to come back before council in May.
Bondy said he can’t understand why the matter couldn’t be addressed in open council, noting “it doesn’t make sense.
“We’re heading into a massive tariff war and we don’t know how that will affect us financially,” Bondy said. “There’s a lot of information on the hub that we need before we make a decision.”
In the works now for more than two years, municipal numbers indicate that a new hub can be created for a net sum of an estimated $6 million to bring the Chatham-Kent Museum and the Chatham branch of the C-K Public Library under one umbrella. This would include the sale of the current Civic Centre and the Queen Street library building.
Bondy said he brought the matter forward because he’s being inundated with questions from the community.
