Council squashes bid to tie security cameras to Arena's fate

Posted July 17, 2012

A request from the Alliston Legion to install security cameras to watch over the new cenotaph was initially tied into the decision pending on the adjacent Memorial Arena because it proposes to house some of the equipment inside the facility.

At least that was the intent of the original motion which appeared to have been prepared prior to last night's council meeting and seemingly caught councillors by surprise.

Art Storey, chair of the Legion's Cenotaph committee, has requested permission to "place a 20 inch square table in the tiny room at the southwest corner of the Memorial Arena to place this security device," according to his letter to council. "This should not inconvenience anyone or interfere with the daily operations of the arena. It would provide excellent surveillance of the Cenotaph. At present there is already an opening to run a small cable through and an electrical outlet to run the equipment."

Mr. Storey has also commited to pay for the equipment, and noted the installation will be done free of charge, "therefore the Town will not incur any cost." However, he acknowledged that a final cost estimate was still not in hand.

The Alliston War Memorial, which is nearly completed at the corner of Albert and Paris Street, has been paid for with over $150,000 in donations. Four more L Stones have been ordered with a $20,000 downpayment, but still lacks the funds to design and include further inscriptions.

Mr. Storey, a proponent of saving the arena, worked it into his presentation last night telling councillors that "This is going to be a self sustaining cenotaph, but it also wasn't meant to be a substitute for the Memorial Arena."

Ward 3 councillor Paul Whiteside and Ward 8 councillor Jim Stone were successful in removing conditions in the recommendation that would have held off installing security cameras until after a decision was made on the arena's future.

"We're talking about using some space for now, we're not committing to Memorial Arena by doing this," said Mr. Stone. "I think we should go ahead because this could go on for a couple of years. I think we should support it and get it done. It's a good cause."

It was a sentiment echoed by Mr. Whiteside.

"Unfortunately in today's society these kind of cameras appear to be a necessity and the Legion has certainly placed a major investment there through their fundraising endeavours and I personally would hate to see anything happen to the investment they put there," he said. "I don't think if we go ahead with this, it certainly doesn't dictate the decision with the Memorial Arena."

Ward 4 councillor Fran Sainsbury noted that the idea of referring the request to staff for a report prior to approving the installation was to determine whether other methods could be looked at, including using a hydro pole as a feeder which would avoid having to incur duplicate costs if council voted to close down the arena.

Ms. Sainsbury used other examples of similar security measures that cost upwards of $20,000, to which Mr. Storey replied "I'm not spending that kind of money."

"My concern was the personal contribution this gentleman is making to install this, and I don't know what that cost is. I know hydro poles can be used and can be fed in and still go into our town system through the bylaw department and they would still have the same security and then we wouldn't be tied to each other and wouldn't be any duplication of cost in the future and the camera would stay up," she said. "That was the intent of referring it back, there might be a less expensive and permanent way to do it and then the decision of the arena doesn't affect it one way or the other and there would be no cost duplicated."

Mr. Stone said because Mr. Storey was prepared to pay the costs, he couldn't understand what the issue was.

"We're talking nickels and dimes here," he said. "Why are we even suggesting stopping it. Definitely has to work with the staff because anything that's done along those lines falls in their responsibilities, so certainly staff would be involved in it."

In the end, council voted to let the project proceed and directed staff to work the cenotaph committee to make it happen.

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