New coffee shop in, Grade 8 science projects out.
This is only part of the new Squamish Sustainability Corporation (SSC) board's revamped approach to turning the Adventure Centre into the inexpensive community amenity so many residents want it to be. But it's not clear how Squamish council's decision this week to slash the facility's budget by $40,000 from the original request will affect efforts to attain that goal.
The revamped approach is what drew Galileo Coffee Co. to take Pause Café's former space, despite undesirably low traffic coming through the building.
"Part of the attraction and reason we decided to go into the space was that our understanding is that there's this push to make the Adventure Centre all-encompassing and improve the building," said Galileo co-owner Cara Barth, who recently signed a three-year contract with the District of Squamish to occupy the space.
"We're really getting the feeling they're revamping the place because if there wasn't that feeling, we might be kind of mmm uncertain."
A lot factors into the SSC's mandate to increase traffic to the building the popular Galileo Coffee Co., improved Visitor Information Centre (VIC) employee training and extended hours, a Squamish Host program, a full-time operations manager and the SSC board's commitment to making the interior experience as appealing as the building's exterior look.
A Squamish resident, Barth thinks the Adventure Centre still has potential.
"I see our café as a puzzle piece in the entire Adventure Centre," she said.
"I think if it's working properly you have the gift shop, you have the rental spaces, you have displays and ideally activities, you have a café and then you have the cheerleaders of the tourist board.
"There seems to be a new mentality up there and we want to be a part of it."
Despite the plan and the SSC board's argument that 2011 is a transition year, District of Squamish council has slashed the budget by more than $40,000 since SSC's original request.
When SSC chair Cameron Chalmers approached council in February to request $192,000, he was met with some surprise and resistance, despite his explanations regarding the 2010 budget.
He said unrealistic revenue projections and no budget lines for necessities such as electrical services and supplies, heat, repairs and more accounted for much of the difference. The request also included additional funding for promotion of the building as a meeting and display venue.
Chalmers returned on Tuesday (April 5) with a revised budget of $170,000 and a promise to reduce the budget by half in 2012.
"Last year was a transition period and we should be able to come in at about half of this next year," he said.
Mayor Greg Gardner said he wasn't keen on increasing the budget from the $151,000 in 2010. He had no problem funding building maintenance, but said he felt the salary and position increase should be offset by increased revenues.
"When I hire an employee I expect the same amount of money on return in revenue," he said.
"I'm not seeing very aggressive numbers on the revenue side."
He also questioned the $10,000 allocated to displays and exhibits, which Chalmers explained would likely be for Bear Aware and other, similar displays. He asked why the non-profit groups couldn't come up with their own displays.
Chalmers explained that non-profits have come forward with projects in the past, but the result "looks like a Grade 8 science project." He said it's unrealistic to expect non-profit groups to provide the type of displays needed to animate the space.
"It's about creating vibrancy in the building and what creates vibrancy is people," he said. "People will go where there's people."
Coun. Corinne Lonsdale said if she had her way, council would only cover the cost of building maintenance.
"A year ago I thought we would be looking at half or less than this," she said. "I can't support $170,000 to run a building."
Coun. Paul Lalli was concerned about overlap happening between Tourism Squamish, the Chamber of Commerce running the VIC and SSC.
Chief administrative office Kevin Ramsay said the SSC board's goal was to "come back with some significant changes in how we operate the building in 2011."
The chamber's five-year VIC lease ends in February 2012 and all three entities are in discussion about the building's operation.
Coun. Doug Race acknowledged the need to invest to get a return on investment, but Lonsdale was not keen to try new ideas with the building at this point.
"Did the District of Squamish really build a building with no idea what it wanted to do with it?" she asked.
Gardner said that's basically what happened.
"When this building was built, there was not a plan," he said, and made a motion to support the same request as 2010 $151,000. Kirkham seconded the motion.
Councillors Patricia Heintzman and Bryan Raiser worried that $151,000 wouldn't be enough for needed improvements, only "the status quo."
"To me this is part of economic development," said Race, making a motion to amend the amount to $170,000.
"Though that building may never turn a profit, it's designed to bring tourism through the community and that building is a magnet to bring it in so I don't think we should be short-changing it."
Lonsdale, Kirkham, Gardner and Lalli opposed the amendment, leaving the original motion for $151,000 on the table.
Raiser was strongly opposed and upset about the failed motion.
"Basically we're telling anyone who comes to us they have to lie," he said. "They have to come to us with a padded figure because we're inevitably going to whittle them down.
"We set everyone up for failure."
The motion to approve $151,000 was carried with Raiser, Heintzman and Race opposed.
Whether or not council's decision to slash the budget will hinder SSC's goal remains to be seen and new café tenants Barth and Lance McClure remain optimistic.
"It's a continuation of our product on the road and I'm definitely excited because I know a lot of locals that have been waiting for us to open up a café in Squamish," he said.
"I'm not worried about lack of traffic in the Adventure Centre and I'm glad to be a part of the re-focus that's happening."
Galileo Coffee Co. will take over the space on May 1.
"We're thrilled to have Galileo as our new tenant," said Chalmers, adding that SSC would find a way to make it work.
"We'll have to revisit the budget to see how we can adapt and adjust," he said. "But the strategy stays the same to attract visitors to the building, but with fewer resources."
Operating budget aside, there is also the legacy debt from when the Adventure Centre was built and SSC was first established. SSC set up a line of credit guaranteed by the DOS that ran up a substantial debt. Last year council paid down $170,000 and this year it is paying down $50,000 plus a $120,000 contractual debt to Pause Café for equipment and construction costs.
The SSC debt after the 2011 contributions will be $354,000.
