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& - m * L | "pl | Our View _â€"New information | kes decisi + f fusir . \ . f > (L9+â€"BeAN E_ cirR, o ICLG â€"TuA&G lgog C f inancial information released by Cramahe Township Treaâ€" i 7 Fsurer Mora Chatterson last week has made Cramahe Township h council‘s decision to end townshipâ€"operated catering seem : even more confusing. It suggests members of council were asking the f ; wrong questions if, in fact, they were asking any. Y Â¥ h s [ In the spring of 2007, council approved its budget for that year. _ q o s 3 7 Included in the projections of an expected $20,000 Rotary Room loss : C Tt is clear from the treasurer‘s numbers that much of the banguet under the accounting system managed by the treasurer and overseen ¢ and event coordinator‘s time on an ongoing basis is in the support of by council. | : Tocal groups using the hall, planning events and providing staff for TIn defence of its Apr. 1; 2008 decision to end townshipâ€"operated caterâ€" f community activities held in the hall â€" not on catering. ing, council has maintained it was concerned about the catering costs 3 M = So, why did council not ask the right questions? o Womte a in 2007. Mayor Marc Coombs is on the record stating, "... we were seriâ€" 4E orie 6E 2 w % Why, when the monthly numbers were so yery clear, did nota?otwi; ous about controlling our losses at the Rotary Room:". eS 3e 6s 2e 8 Feview the situation regularly during a year considered pivotal to the If that was the case in 2007, and council was determined to keep its 3 §F a 28 3 R a m f future of the hall? f P losses to $20,000, then there remains a Tot more to be explained, given moRsdisres o mm = Why did the treasurer not bring the monthly losses to council s the facts released by the treasurer last week. * 28 2 2 r‘j‘:%_ & Ez op m > Attention when she knew council was concerned about hall losses? «& According the figures from the monthly statements of January and 88 $ po ce §EC< nauues @ 5 If the right questions had been asked, instead of looking at the y°earâ€" || )_ repruary 2007, the Rotary Room lost $13,144 even before council sat » 28 89 2 5 5 25 o m end bottom line, council could not have failed to come to a different down in March to work on the 2008 budget. It lost a further $9,151 in ; Jef" 969 ie a tonclusion: catering is a profit generator. $s : March 2008. a 8e $ik83z> naung a % Council has been misleading or is misinformed if it suggests theflf? M It beggars belief decisionâ€"makers could reasonably expect the hall to . bes <i%s & C fot enough catering to make a profit. The catering did make a profit in lose only $20,000 over a full year when it had already lost over $13,000 eBG ZPpfs >§ & 2007 which offset some of the rest of the costs of the room. What 1 in the first"two months and over $22,000 by the end of the third. Or, was Pue xV T § ;‘g < memeug didn‘t do is pay all the costs of the room when it was used for other council even given these figures as it made its decisions? functions. f f | According to the monthly reports for 2007 produced by townshi ae g s 3 08 CÂ¥ o © Councillor Pat Westrope has stated the hope, when the catering conâ€" . Treasurer Mora Chatterson, the hall continued to lose n?oney unt'fi ‘ . 825 24 5 z e Cept was introduced, that the hall would help pay some of the costs of July 2007 ‘when major events brought in $14,000 in revenues and | & 3-0% 3 2 3 7 m the building. With the unveiling of Ms. Chatterson‘s figures from 2007, another $8,000 in bar receipts for a profit of $2,772. ~ $ess ; at appears that it has. f 7 ; |_¢__ . In December 2007, the hall once more made a profit. The exact 2 ; ; 5.8 © {. The figures also suggest the banquet and special event coordinator amount is confused by yearâ€"end costs which are included in the ‘ 5â€" 25 29 T m tloes much more than provide catering. She has been an ongoing cataâ€" . monthly totals. 28 8 o2 D n m dyst, facilitating increased hall usage by groups from inside the comâ€" | In 2007, the township collected over $55,000, and paid out over $37,000 . $g8eeRs t uns munity and from far beyond our boundaries. o ~ to various monthly accounts. If the annual building cost of $17,741 55eE . C i Council members could have looked further and asked themselves if | included in the December costs, had been shared equally over the 12 ‘ $57 i ¢ â€" memeo they were willing to pay for the time being spent by Ms. Rusaw promotâ€"| | _ months, December 2007 was a very profitable month for the Rotary s é‘ %é F x «ng and supporting the community. . _ , | Room. 4 ‘ CC B n nemum @ » That becomes the question now that it can be shown caterimg makes | The argument for closing down the townshipâ€"operated catering was | £ m mnvmmmmic. anoney. $ ) _ f that it lost money. a 8 o g 9 % = S neommam. *~ Do we want to.operate a profitable, partâ€"time catering business that . In reality, catering was a profit generator if the numbers from 2007 53°1g° c h m pffeets part of the hall costs? If we do, then do we want to take advanâ€" are to be believed. In the two monthsâ€"when there were more catering E 5 & & é Ks tage of the position‘s other contributions as a tourism and community events, the profits were enough to offset the ongoing costs of operating p §3 37 2 m” Q ‘events coordinator? m No the room as a community. centre and generate an overall monthly t SBL 2 § © 1t costs money to operate a community centre which is more than profit, ; F Ts3 & 3 & mb just an arena, and council has yet to ask itself if it is willing to pay that _ In light of this information, one cannot imagine council failing to © 8 % § * 0 Tost. t 8 take another look at its April 1, 2008 decision. $ 29 8 §. = . * ‘The question will only get larger once purchase details have been Contrary to the argument put forth by council and not refuted by & § é i ‘eompleted and council is be overseeing the operation of the Vourneen the treasurer, it appears the hall‘s catering operation did make money. € & «Buff‘ Jack Centre it purchased in downtown Colborne. _ j Tt lost money when the doors were opened to the the Rotary Room for B § & | & Perhaps council needs to consider that it has been paying two partâ€" community groups and for meetings when rental charges failed to ] time salaries for tourism and special events promotion: a tourism PeC _ mant costs, One of those costs is salaries, s i d ison and the banquet and catering position, Please note: the bgmquet Which brings us to another issue council was asked about but § "and catering position generates direct income for the municipality, the refused to consider: that the salary of Banguet and S%ecial Events | ‘bther does not. , t Coordinator Donna Rusaw be spread over all aspects of the room operâ€" |. We & . j j f ation and not lumped into catering.. x