PUSLINCH ‒ Council has rejected the local soccer club's appeal for help accommodating the township's ongoing field deficit.
During a council meeting earlier this month, acting CAO and municipal clerk Courtenay Hoytfox, said outside of sodding the smaller of the PCC Park's two fields for use next season, there are no further plans to offset costs for the Puslinch Minor Soccer Club (PMSC) in the 2024 budget.
This follows a delegation at a Parks and Recreation Committee meeting from the PMSC's longtime president, Bruce Joy, requesting the township renew its field maintenance contract at Calvary Baptist Church, waive user fees in 2024/2025 and take over painting field lines after the Puslinch Community Centre Park's (PCC) construction removed two of the township's three soccer fields from their 2023 roster.
"I can understand perhaps the relinquishing of fees in 2024 or the fact that they lost an opportunity this year," said Coun. John Sepulis during the meeting. "But I really can't see going the extra mile of paying for the rental at Calvary Church and paying for the cost of line painting."
Mike Fowler, director of public works, parks and facilities, said he was disappointed the PMSC didn't recognize the township's efforts to compensate for some of their inconveniences this year during its delegation.
According to Fowler, staff helped the PMSC move all soccer nets to the CBC when it was identified as the main playing field and offered green space at the Aberfoyle Baseball Diamond for Timbits soccer to help offset difficulties related to the PCC park construction.
"I feel the township was very forthcoming years in advance to identify that the intermediate soccer field would be affected by the construction," said Fowler. "I'm very confident that staff and the township provided all the necessary actions to help PMSC have a successful 2023 season."
However, Coun. Jessica Goyda, chair of the Parks and Rec committee, said she felt it was important to recognize the PMSC's value and contributions to the township and suggested council take another look at the Parks Master Plan for future solutions for the field deficit.
The township's 2014 Parks Master Plan previously noted a "long-term need" for approximately seven full-sized soccer fields.
"I think it was definitely not an ideal year for PMSC given all the construction and the pivoting," said Goyda. "That being said though, I think that our Parks department has really tried hard to make sure they can continue on their program through the year."
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
