Cochrane council has bought themselves another nine months to come to a longer-term lease agreement with the Cochrane Lions Club over its use of the events centre.
Council voted unanimously to extend the current lease agreement to the end of the year as staff works to negotiate a prospective 50-year agreement. But before any of that can happen, the Town intends to initiate a land use change at the site to become a Direct Control (DC) District.
It had previously been proposed to use a plebiscite to poll community opinion on the current uses at the site. Some have voiced objections to the Lions continuing to host a yearly rodeo on the site and other larger scale community events and concerts while others are adamant the rodeo and what the Lions do is fundamental to the unique cultural landscape of Cochrane.
However, instead of a plebiscite, by initiating the land-use bylaw change, administration said it would allow much more extensive community engagement around the site prior to the new lease agreement being signed, including a public hearing and a period of more intensive public feedback than can be captured by a plebiscite question.
Most on council welcomed the idea of extensive public engagement around the site, which would come through a public process around land use change, but Coun. Morgan Nagel did not like administration's proposed timeline for completion of the public engagement process by Dec. 31, 2025. He felt it should be dealt with prior to the October municipal elections so as not to risk politicizing the process more than necessary, and sought an amendment which would allow the DC land use bylaw and lease agreement changes to be brought before council by no later than Sept. 30, 2025.
“I am happy to see something on the (Mar. 24) agenda to move this forward, but I respectfully disagree with my colleagues, though, about the timing to do it after an election,” he stated. “An election actually makes it more political.”
However others on council disagreed with a hard Sept. 30 deadline– feeling the issue was too important to rush. If it could come back by September, well and good, but what was most important was that the process be transparent and allow time for the public engagement to be fully utilized.
“My biggest fear is we make a conversation that is pro-rodeo, anti-rodeo, and it should not be about that all,” said Coun. Tara McFadden. “(We need to) separate from this political process as much as possible.”
The amendment was voted down by a vote of 6-1 against.
Mayor Jeff Genung said what was most important was to come out of the land-use change process with a long-term lease agreement in place with the Lions the community would be happy to support.
“Something I like about the plan that is in front of us is, and it’s something none of us (on council) have talked about yet-- we are not in a position as a community to action anything on the 5th Avenue site in the next five to ten years,” he stated. “Council saw an update on our 10-year capital plan last week at Strategic Planning (Committee). Nowhere on that capital plan is there anything to do with the 5th Avenue site. So part of the comfort I have in moving forward tonight on this (motion) is we actually provide the Lions the opportunity to prove themselves, and I am excited about that … This is an opportunity to partner with somebody who can actually get it done sooner, and likely for less money than we would have to do as a community.”
Genung went on to say Cochrane is facing many needs with growth pressures pressing in on every side, and these types of partnerships between the Town and organizations like the Lions were very important to help keep pace with those growth pressures.
“I think getting out of the Lions’ way, and having a lease that is clean and clear, and not encumbered, that allows them to fill a lease that is similar to any other lease you might encounter, where we are hands-off, you are following our bylaws– Good for you. Go do your thing. I am excited to see where the Lions can take us in our community."
