A gymnastics club looking to restart its programming will have to wait until the new year to find out if council supports renewing its lease agreement.
Stella Nova Gymnastics chair Paul Savard and vice-chair Samantha Richards talked to Timmins council Dec. 11. At the meeting, a recommendation to renew the club’s lease agreement for the Confederation Recreation Complex was deferred.
While the club touched on some of the challenges it’s faced this past year, not having a business plan to present was a concern for council.
“I’d like to have all the information before a decision is reached, and a report from Mr. Jensen based on the two presentations before we move forward,” said Coun. John Curley, who requested the deferral.
The lease renewal proposed is for two years, with a third-year extension option.
In the first year, the monthly rent would be $2,475, and in year two it’s $2,600.
The agreement also allows the club to use the city-owned gymnastics equipment.
Stella Nova, a not-for-profit organization, has operated since 2010 and closed in March of this year.
“One of the reasons why we are here where we are today is because Stella Nova was faced with a lot of challenges in the last year and a half,” Richards told council.
She said there was a lot of staff turnover, which resulted in high costs for salaries and training. She said internal issues with the governance have also been recognized and addressed.
To help get back up and running, the club’s board of directors has been working with the Timmins Economic Development Corporation (TEDC) since May.
“Moving forward we’re definitely looking at recruitment and retention of trained staff, we have already been in discussion with a potential head coach/manager to help us get this back underway,” she said.
Coun. Joe Campbell isn’t comfortable with the club not having a head coach or manager on board.
“It would have been nice for you to come here tonight and say we have all these pieces in place so let’s look at a new lease here,” Campbell said.
Not knowing if they have a facility, Savard said it’s hard for the club to advertise for the positions.
He said there are people interested, but they have to go through an interview process.
“There are inklings of all of these things being in place, once we have a decision then we can move forward with these things,” Savard said.
He said they haven’t looked at other locations.
“The facility now has approximately $136,000 of gymnastics equipment in it, a lot of which we have purchased. The original deal with the city when we took it over eight years ago was that any of our purchases through those eight years would go to the city,” he said.
He noted that any grants that the club may get in the future for equipment goes to the city as well.
