by Tristan Tuner
Council has unanimously approved a motion that would allow the Midstream Support Society to enter into a new 35-year lease agreement with the Town on the current property the Midstream Thrift Store is on. The agreement allows the organization to move forward in raising the funds to build a two-story building in partnership with the Lions Club of Morinville that could create more space for other community groups.
This decision follows weeks of the Midstream Support Society and the Morinville Lions Club indicating to the Town they would like a 35-year lease on a new building paid for by both groups.
The new centre would replace the currently aging property that the Town leases to the society free of charge along 101 Street (which, according to Town Administration, is no longer suitable for continued use), and would also provide a new place for Lions Club events and meetings.
This decision follows two meetings between councillors, Administration and the groups, the most recent taking place days before the May 24 Council meeting. At the most recent, Midstream discussed they were open to the idea of having extra space for other community groups to operate out of, potentially on a second floor.
This possibility will be worked out with the society moving forward according to Town CAO Andrew Isbister.
Councillor Stephen Dafoe made the motion to take option three, offering the long-term lease but quipped that Council should have passed a motion supporting a lease agreement two weeks earlier. Dafoe had previously voted against Council’s previous decision to hold a second meeting with the group, feeling partnerships could be worked out after committing to providing the property.
Councillor Barry Turner, on the other hand, felt that the meeting was “valuable” and that it allowed for Council to include in their motion a provision that would encourage space to be available for other community groups.
In addition to the passage of this motion on the property, Councillor Nicole Boutestein’s motion to have the Town cover all of the demolition costs related to destroying their current building up to a value of $10,000, passed unanimously. This expense will be included in Council’s 2017 budget process.
