South River-Machar arena's condition to be assessed

by Andy Campbell

Mar 19, 2008

SOUTH RIVER – The South River-Machar arena is getting a low-cost look-see, in order to better plan for future repairs and upgrades.

South River council discussed a recommendation from the arena board on March 10. Due to the age of the facility, the board considers this a necessary move, but wishes to avoid the expense of a full-blown assessment. They recommended that arena manager Carl Hand, local contractor Jim Joliffe and Jamie Payne, a community member with related experience, inspect the arena from top to bottom and prepare a report, including a prioritized list of repairs and their estimated costs.

The board further recommended that this involve a short-term contract, with compensation for Joliffe and Payne, to an upset limit of $3,000.

“It needs to be done, and the sooner the better,” said councillor Les Mahon.

Councillor Kathy Parker asked about the scope of the assessment.

Clerk-administrator Susan Arnold explained that it would concentrate mostly on the structure, machinery and other big-ticket items, such as boards.

“It’s to give us a better idea how to budget,” said mayor Jim Coleman.

“It’s cheaper than an engineer, that’s for sure,” said Mahon.

Coleman noted that the arena will not be assessed to the same standard, but will get an inspection sufficient to identify potential problems and hopefully let the municipalities plan ahead.

“This is just taking a look,” said Arnold. “It’s a starting point.”

South River council passed the recommendation. Machar council, who met on the same night, passed it as well.