Director of Recreation and Culture Mark Fluhrer addressing city council, April 12, 2017 (Photo: Mary Thomas/Quinte News)
Hockey fans will have a shuttle bus service to the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre for the Belleville Senators games, but it won’t be paid for by Belleville taxpayers.
During city council’s budget debate Wednesday councillors cut the $25,000 item for the service.
It will be a pilot project, funded through private business partnerships which transit officials will try to negotiate.
Councillor Kelly McCaw and Mike Graham both argued against having taxpayers pay to shuttle people to hockey games.
Director of Recreation and Culture Mark Fluhrer emphasized that as many as 6,000 people could be at a hockey game and there would only be parking for 1,300.
He said the Senators are looking at leasing land.
Transit manger Matt Coffey addressing Belleville city council April 12, 2017 (Photo: Mary Thomas/Quinte News)
Transit manager Matt Coffey said his department is considering the Quinte Mall, the North East Industrial Park, and the area at Cannifton Road and College Street as centres where shuttle service could be established.
The shuttle will be free for the first year.
Clearing Belleville harbour
Belleville will spend $90,000 to clear Victoria Harbour of “chara” or algae.
Director of Recreation and Cutlure Mark Fluhrer told city council’s budget session Wednesday he is particularly looking at the harbour area near the city’s water intake, but will also be studying the Meyers Pier area.
Fluhrer says the Minister of Environment is studying the issue as well.
The procedure involves injecting oxygen into the water.
Giving transit more support
During the budget debate this week, Belleville council approved the hiring of a new transit supervisor to help with issues at the transit service.
Manager Matt Coffey told council the staff is “stressed to the limit.” He said there are “problems with driver performance, accidents and customer complaints.”
Council also approved the continuation of bus route #10, Loyalist-Quinte Mall-Millennium Drive.
…and maybe privatizing the harbour
Belleville will undertake a study to look at “privatizing” its harbour.
Councillor Jack Miller called for the report during city council’s debate this week, in light of the marina operation in Trenton and private operations in Belleville.
Director of Recreation and Culture Mark Fluhrer indicated a report could be ready for council’s strategy session later this spring.
The “BELLEVILLE” sign
Belleville will soon have its own tourist attraction BELLEVILLE sign, similar to the TORONTO sign in Nathan Phillips Square.
At its budget meeting this week, council decided to spend $40,000 dollars on a plastic-metal clad five-foot sign.
Parks official Larry Glover said it will be mobile, and lit up.
Glover hopes to have it in place for the Ontario Secondary Field Athletic Association meet in the city, in June.
Councillor Garnet Thompson called it a “great tourist attraction” where people will want to have their pictures taken.
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