District of Invermere taxpayers spoke loud and clear during the Nov. 2 community centre referendum.

As a result, district council last night (Nov. 12) unanimously approved Borrowing Bylaw No. 1474, opening the door for the borrowing of up to $5.6 million to construct a new community centre on the site of the old David Thompson Secondary School.

Council first had to approve a Certificate of Sufficiency to finalize the referendum results, which showed that 994 votes were cast, with 749 in favour (75%) and 245 opposed (25%).

“It feels good to have a very strong mandate. Now the real work begins,” stated Mayor Gerry Taft.

Coun. Greg Anderson agreed. “Seventy-five per cent is as good of a mandate as you can have,” he said.

District chief administrative officer Chris Prosser instructed council that a 30-day quashing period has begun, where the public can challenge the referendum results but “that big of a margin (75%)” would make it difficult for a successful challenge.

Once that period clears the district will enter the “design phase” for the new centre, with the public again being consulted to help formulate the final plans.

“It will be a very guided process,” Prosser said.

“We really do need to engage the community,” stated Coun. Paul Denchuk, calling into the meeting from Seattle. “I know we can’t give everything to everybody but we have to explore the options,” he said, noting he’s heard from some residents that they’d rather a new hall be built on the site of the current Memorial Hall.

Taft said he didn’t want to entertain such an idea.

“We sold this project on the location. That’s what we got the mandate for,” he said, adding, “I have zero desire” to go back to the old locale. “That would add to years” to the process, he said, admitting he wants as much public input as possible.

“It is important going forward we have some guided consultation,” Taft said. “We have to be realistic about what a town of 3,000 can afford.”

Prosser told council construction could begin on a new centre in spring/summer 2015, with 2014 being taken up by consultation, design, tendering and demolition of the old high school.

Later in the meeting council read into the record a letter from the Valley Fitness Centre, expressing keen interest in being a part of the community centre project.

“If the development is approved, we look forward to working with the district towards a mutually beneficial relationship to bring this project to life. We would be very happy to be a part of such a positive development for our community,” concluded the letter, signed by Valley Fitness Society President Tiffany Gulbe.

Coun. Spring Hawes welcomed the correspondence.

“I was really happy to see that letter. I think it would a great partnership,” she said.

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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