The Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club says it needs a grant to operate trails in the Hiawatha Highlands, and not a loan from council as one councillor now suggests.
Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority voted this week to enter negotiations with the ski club to operate the trails it owns. The agreement would be conditional on the city giving the club the $7,500 it needs to pay the conservation authority.
Ward 6 Coun. Frank Manzo, a member of the conservation authority board, said because the ski club will take in money through trail passes and has received money from the breakup of Sault Trails and Recreation (STAR) it should not be given "carte blanche" by the city.
Manzo, who voted against the conservation authority motion in favour of the ski club, said council should look at an interest-free loan to avoid losing money.
"If Northern Breweries had taken ($430,000 in forgiven back taxes) as a loan the city would own Northern Breweries," said Manzo, but as it is, "We can't touch them."
Ski operations run on too narrow a margin to make a loan feasible, said Kevin Hogan, president of the club.
The ski club will get about $30,000 in cash along with groomers and other assets being dispersed in the wake of STAR's demise. Hogan said the club plans to put that money into improving the trail system.
"We want something that's quality," said Hogan.
The ski club has tentatively agreed to pay the Kinsmen Club somewhere in the neighbourhood of $10,000 annually for the use of its buildings, necessary upgrades to those buildings and trail lighting, he said.
But that payment won't include a fee for trail use, which Hogan said is key.
The club couldn't afford to pay both the conservation authority and the Kinsmen for trails, Hogan said and suggested, any leftover revenue from ski operations should be put into improving the trails. "I don't know why Coun. Manzo wouldn't support this initiative if it brings visitors to the city and with them dollars," said Hogan.
Ward 5 Coun. Debbie Amaroso has agreed to second a motion for the loan by conservation authority board member Ward 4 Coun. Neil DelBianco at the next council meeting Aug. 28.
She said the priority is making the money available so the ski club can "get organized and do what they need to do."
"I would hope that at this point in time we can just move forward and deal with the details of other years down the road," said Amaroso.
She said the money is a conservation authority issue.
"The money outlined in the (request for proposals) is money the conservation authority is saying they need so I think that's what we need to look at," said Amaroso.
