Martensville civic employees are calling on their city councillors to keep the management and operations of the new Martensville Community Recreation Centre (MCRC) multi-purpose facility in the public sector.
About two dozen Martensville city workers packed the gallery during a Martensville City Council meeting on Tuesday, November 7 to express their concern over the possibility the city may contract out the management and operations of the new $44.5 million facility, currently under construction and slated to open in the fall of 2024, to a private company.
Jamie Mitchell, a member of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2582, which represents 52 in-scope civic workers in Martensville, said in a presentation to the council meeting that the city would be better served by keeping the operations “in-house, and using your own dedicated workers,” rather than contracting out.
“There are many benefits of public services that are directly delivered by the public sector,” said Mitchell, who has worked for the city for the past seven years. “In-house services have better working conditions, they are more accountable to the public, and they can respond better to public needs.”
Martensville Deputy Mayor Jamie Martens confirmed during the council meeting that there have been ongoing discussions behind closed doors between city officials and Nustadia Recreation, an Ontario-based company that manages and operates 25 facilities in communities across Canada, including Merlis Belsher Place in Saskatoon and Evraz Place in Regina.
However, there has been no decision to contract out the services at this time.
Martensville City Councillor Darren MacDonald said no contract has been signed to date. He noted that while negotiations are, by necessity, conducted in camera due to sensitive financial information, the final decision must be voted on during a future city council meeting that is open to the public.
Currently, all civic recreation facilities in Martensville, including the Martensville Athletic Pavilion and Martensville Aquatic Centre, are operated in house by civic employees and managed through the city’s Recreation and Community Services department.
Martensville City Councillor Spencer Nickel said councillors and city administration are exploring all available options with a goal of balancing the need to reduce costs to taxpayers while maintaining high service levels for the public and respecting the interests of city workers. He reiterated that no decision has been made at this point.
Mitchell said in her presentation to council that two communities, one in Ontario and one in BC, that have contracts with Nustadia Recreation are experiencing problems, including alleged lack of community access to the facility and alleged financial losses.
Wade Keen, a Martensville city worker for the past five years, said in a presentation to the November 7 city council meeting that keeping the services in-house is better for the city administration, residents and workers.
He acknowledged the workers are concerned that CUPE members who already live and work in Martensville may lose future employment opportunities if the city decides to contract out the management and operations of the new facility. But, he added, the city could also face challenges. Opting for initially lower contract costs doesn’t always pan out, he said.
Keen cited a report from the Columbia Institute which outlined the reasons many municipalities are moving away from contracting out and restoring in-house operations. These include: attracting higher-skilled workers, increased emphasis on safety and service to the public, flexibility in responding to community needs, greater transparency in operations, improved quality control and improved overall cost-effectiveness.
On its website, Nustadia Recreation states that it was created to “provide innovative solutions to the management and development of facilities through community partnerships” and “is the leading developer of community arena and recreation facilities in North America”. Over the past 25 years it has provided services for projects with a combined value amounting to nearly $500 million.