$50M questions: what you need to know about referendums for a new pool and fire hall in Prince George

Aging infrastructure is a problem across B.C. In Prince George, voters are deciding how much they're willing to spend to fix it.

On Saturday, they'll answer two questions: do they want to borrow up to $35 million to build a new downtown pool and do they want to borrow up to $15 million to build a new fire hall? 

"It's a big dollar value and council wanted to go out to the residents and gauge their feelings," said Mayor Lyn Hall. 

"The majority of folks are pretty positive, but there are questions and rightly so. It's a big expenditure." 

CBC's Daybreak North has put together a package of highlights and information about the cases for and against each project.

What's being asked?

Two separate votes are being held at the same time, one for each building. The exact questions are:

Voters can answer each question separately.

Why are these projects being proposed?

According to officials, the key factors are age, size and location.

Fire hall: too small, wrong place

Chief John Iverson says Fire Hall #1 it is no longer big enough to meet the needs of the community. New trucks can't fit inside and equipment is stacked throughout the building.

The Fire Underwriters Survey, which evaluates the ability of communities to fight fires, says the building is not well placed to respond to emergencies in a timely manner.

The city has selected a piece of city-owned property for a new hall that will increase the number of emergencies crews can reach within eight minutes — the nationally proposed standard for minimizing the likelihood of major damage or fatalities.

Pool: inaccessible and aging

The current Four Seasons Leisure Pool is nearing the end of its life, according to sport architect Doug Wournell.

"There's a point when your old car, you've replaced the transmission. You've replaced the head. You've replaced the tires ... but now the body is rusting off the frame," he said.

"It's only functioning, because we keep applying duct tape to it."

It also doesn't meet modern accessibility standards for people with mobility issues.

The city has committed to building any replacement pool downtown, based on public consultation.

Who is in favour of these ideas?

The referendums were unanimously endorsed by council. City staff and elected officials have been working to inform voters about why they believe the projects are needed.

The plans have also been endorsed by the business improvement association Downtown Prince George and the Stand Up For the North Committee, which focuses on economic and social improvement.

"It's very important to have modern infrastructure that can attract businesses, workers and professionals," said committee chair Peter Ewart.

Who is against it?

While he hasn't endorsed a "yes" or a "no" vote on either project, Prince George Citizen editor Neil Godbout has suggested the city would be better served by partnering with the YMCA on the pool project.

"The YMCA brings a proven track record of operating swimming pools as part of their overall mandate of developing healthy communities and families," he wrote in an editorial titled "Where the Pool Belongs."

YMCA of Northern B.C. CEO Amanda Alexander said she approached the city about a partnership she believed would save taxpayers money, by either adding a pool to the existing YMCA building or partnering on a new building downtown.

"We have janitorial cleaning staff. We have facility maintenance," she said. "There's a lot of cost efficiencies that could be fused together."

In a statement, the city said the proposal came after the referendum had already been approved and pointed out a joint YMCA/pool facility was not among the recommendations in a 2016 Aquatic Needs Assessment report. 

• Read the Aquatic Needs Assessment Report

Alexander said while she isn't taking a position on how residents should vote, she would prefer the door being open to a city partnership with the YMCA. 

What happens if voters say "yes?"

The city has entered a contract to purchase the site of the Day's Inn Hotel downtown for the purpose of building a new pool there. That purchase is legally required to be completed in the event of a "yes" vote.

Additionally, city council will have to approve bylaws to move forward with the borrowing. Following that, it is expected construction would begin by 2019.

The cost for the fire hall to taxpayers is estimated at $8.45 per $100,000 of assessed property value per year, and the cost of the swimming pool is estimated at $19.71 per $100,000 of assessed property value per year.

What happens if voters say "no?"

"Then we're back to the drawing board," said Mayor Hall. "We still have a financial commitment and obligation to bring those facilities up to standards."

City staff said the long-term costs of repairing and maintaining each building exceeds the cost of new facilities.

How do I vote?

​To vote, people must be 18 or older, a Canadian citizen and B.C. resident for six months and a resident or property owner in Prince George for 30 days. 

No advance registration is required. Two pieces of ID proving identity and place of residence are required at the ballot box. Detailed information is available on the city's website.

When will we know the results?

Preliminary results are expected by 9 p.m. Saturday.

Mayor Lyn Hall will join CBC's Daybreak North Oct. 30 at 7:10 a.m. PT to discuss the results in detail.