Town confirms Rideau Lakes’ June request was received and considered as municipalities work toward a new cost-sharing agreement
Smiths Falls says municipal partners have been provided with audited financial information and facility usage data as negotiations continue on a new regional recreation cost-sharing agreement.
The town has also confirmed it received Rideau Lakes Township’s formal request in June for additional information and a one-year extension of the existing agreement, which expires at the end of 2026.
Stephanie Clark, director of community services for Smiths Falls, said Rideau Lakes CAO Shellee Fournier forwarded council’s resolution and accompanying questions to the town.
“The request for a one-year extension and the additional information sought by their Council were received and considered,” Clark said.
Clark did not say whether the requested extension will be granted.
She said negotiations for the next Regional Recreation Cost-Sharing Agreement are being conducted collectively with all participating municipalities rather than through separate negotiations.
“Each municipality, including Rideau Lakes, has representation at the negotiating table, and it has been our understanding that discussions, information sharing, and decision-making would occur through that collaborative process rather than through separate negotiations with individual municipalities,” Clark said.
The town has provided participating municipalities with “the requisite audited financial information and facility usage data supporting the regional nature of our facility and its services,” she said.
Clark said additional information and options will be reviewed collectively as negotiations continue.
The clarification follows questions raised by Rideau Lakes Coun. Paula Banks over the financial and usage information available to the township as it considers its future participation in recreation cost-sharing with Smiths Falls.
Earlier this year, Rideau Lakes council passed a resolution brought forward by Banks seeking greater clarification on operating costs, reliable Rideau Lakes user numbers, the methodology used to determine the township’s share and opportunities for participating municipalities to have input into operations and service delivery.
The resolution also asked representatives from Smiths Falls to attend a Rideau Lakes committee of the whole meeting to address those concerns.
Smiths Falls Mayor Shawn Pankow responded publicly this week, saying the town “has and will continue to be transparent about all expenses of running this facility.”
Pankow said municipal partners were invited to a meeting earlier this year to review operations and expenses and provide an opportunity for questions. He said mayors or reeves from the participating municipalities were invited, with Banks attending alongside Rideau Lakes Mayor Arie Hoogenboom.
The existing agreement is not based solely on a count of actual facility users.
Clark said the current cost-sharing agreement uses a weighted assessment model provided by an independent financial firm.
Smiths Falls contributes the largest share, at approximately 42 per cent, while remaining costs are allocated among participating municipalities according to the agreed formula, she said.
Pankow said the model considers potential usage by residents within a 20-minute drive of the facility, with greater weighting applied to areas closer to Smiths Falls.
An updated assessment has now been completed for the next agreement and shared with participating municipalities as part of the current negotiations, Clark said.
“As negotiations are ongoing, I am hesitant to speculate on the future final municipal contributions or percentages until all partners have had the opportunity to receive our draft agreement, review the assessment and discuss it collectively,” she said.
Pankow also addressed Banks’ call for more detailed information about where people using Smiths Falls recreation facilities live.
He said the town is unable to demand detailed user information from user groups, particularly those involving children, because of privacy restrictions.
That leaves a distinction between the facility usage information Smiths Falls says it has provided and the more detailed user information Rideau Lakes has sought.
Pankow said Rideau Lakes currently contributes approximately $130,000 annually toward Smiths Falls recreation services, which he estimated at about $12 per township resident. Under the agreement, he said, all Rideau Lakes residents have access to programming at the Smiths Falls facilities, including the walking track.
The ongoing cost-sharing negotiations are separate from planning for a proposed new regional recreation complex in Smiths Falls.
Smiths Falls council supported establishing a regional steering committee earlier this year to provide municipal partners and user groups with a role in early planning for the proposed facility.
Rideau Lakes council subsequently voted to defer participation in that steering committee until the next term of council.
During that discussion, council also considered a separate motion seeking additional financial information and greater clarity around governance and decision-making.
Smiths Falls has maintained that the existing cost-sharing agreement and planning for a future recreation facility are separate matters.
The steering committee has since begun its work without Rideau Lakes.
Pankow said the proposed recreation complex will carry a significant cost and would require substantial federal or provincial funding and fundraising to proceed.
He said Smiths Falls needs to move quickly to bring the project to a shovel-ready stage to compete with other Ontario municipalities seeking government recreation funding.
Rideau Lakes’ earlier resolution stated that meaningful consideration of any future regional recreation partnership would require financial transparency, reliable usage information and an appropriate level of input for contributing municipalities.
Smiths Falls says the door remains open for Rideau Lakes to join the steering committee.
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