The Co-Chair of the Bayfield Fitness Initiative Team still has some concerns about the process, but overall is pleased with the outcome of a meeting this week to establish terms of reference for a feasibility study on the future of the Bayfield Arena.
The major debate comes down to whether the ice is permanently removed or is kept.
Steve Bakers says he's not happy about spending 30-thousand dollars on a consultant when council could simply consult with the community. But he adds if that's what council has decided, he is happy that other stakeholders are involved in establishing terms of reference for the study.
Baker also suggests the deficit at the Bayfield Arena is less than the other two arenas in the municipality, and revenues have doubled over the last three years, so he questions the urgency in taking the ice out.
He also believes heating the building in the winter for other activities would be even more expensive than keeping it cold for ice, so there would be very little savings, if any.
"My feeling is that is that if we're going to use the building to run other programs in there, such as indoor soccer as was suggested last night, we gotta heat the building and that building wasn't designed for heat, so I think in the winter it's less costly to keep it cold than it is to try to heat it", stated Baker.
