The file is on my desk…

City Third party agreements for

domes at Sherwood being reviewed.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  January 27, 2011  – Ward 5 Council member Paul Sharman said today that the file with all the relevant documents related to the third party agreements the city has with the Burlington Youth Soccer Club is one his desk.

“My interest is to ensure that the public interest is being adequately met and that the use to which the facility is put ensures that the soccer community gets to use the space.”

There are Frisbee events, kick boxing and other alternative uses said Sharman and “at this point I have no idea what is happening in terms of revenue generation at the location”.  Sharman intends to review the complete file and based on what he learns he will then determine if any further action should be taken.

“…soccer community has to understand it needs to be fully transparent if it wants to retain public confidence.”

The Burlington Women’s Recreational Soccer League appeared before a council committee recently and complained they were not getting the time slots they felt they were entitled to and a noisy debate took place in our comments section.  The picture was  a little muddied when the Burlington Soccer League failed to fully clarify their role in the arrangement in place for the payment and use of the second dome.

No one was suggesting there was anything wrong being done but council members certainly wanted to know what the facts were but the soccer community appears to want to keep the noses of the council members out of what it feels is their business.

The parks used for soccer and the domes that allow year round schedules are public property and the soccer community has to understand it needs to be fully transparent if it wants to retain public confidence.  More than 7,000 young people play soccer in this city and the Burlington Youth Soccer Club deserves credit for the admirable job done by its volunteer board.  Staff however may have let that Board down.

Sharman is a non-nonsense businessman who has a knack for getting to the bottom of things.  The facilities that bought the problem to the council chamber are in his ward. We will report in full on his findings.

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