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Cochrane town council hasn't formally discussed the results of last week's pubic hearing on the operation of the SLS Centre, nor the bid withdrawal by YMCA Calgary. File Photo/Noel Edey
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At this point, it's on the agenda of council's committee-of-the-whole meeting tonight, but further discussions will arise at some point soon as to the direction town council wants to take in matching the recreational wants of the community with the dollars it requires.

While town council hasn't formally discussed future actions since last week's public hearing on the operation of the SLS Centre and the withdrawal of a bid by YMCA Calgary, Mayor Jeff Genung believes the entire RFP process is finished.

He believes there was a lot of misunderstanding about the original intent of seeking another party to operate the SLS Centre.

He continued to praise the work of SLS Centre staff. He says their success led to a point where the town was left asking what's next and how to find some financial efficiencies.

"It's a stepping stone, not a criticism of their work, but we can't continue to do things the same way. We just heard from minor hockey within the last month. They want an ice surface by 2026. We have a lot of work to do. This was an opportunity to try and find some efficiencies in finances and for the future. We're going to have to go back and scratch our heads now and work within the confines of what we're working in."


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Genung said the YMCA decided to withdraw its bid on its own, and he wasn't surprised by their decision following the public hearing.

"They had expressed concern about the way our community was reacting and responding to this, and they were very concerned about their brand, and they would rather be welcomed into a community than fight."

What is believed to be the largest turnout for a public hearing on the proposal to have YMCA Calgary operate the centre was held on June 11.

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