YORKTON - Jeff Sperling was back before Yorkton Council Monday representing ‘The Friends of the Terriers’ looking for the city to again cost share a proposed project at the Westland Insurance Arena.
Sperling had previously sought and received city dollars are part of a retrofit of the Terrier dressing rooms and associated features.
This time around Sperling was asking the city for $30,000, or 50 per cent, of the cost to create ‘ledging’ basically a table area to be installed around the arena’s upper level at the top of each seating section.
The concept is not unique being already in place in the Melville arena, he said.
The installation would include significant room for advertising signage groups such as the Junior Terriers or Yorkton Exhibition could market during events as fundraising, said Sperling.
“It will be very visual,” he said in terms of potential advertising placement.
While noting each organization would need to do its own advertising marketing, Sperling said raising $55,000 annually seemed reasonable.
“You might get to $80,000 down the road,” he said.
While with the Friends of the Terriers Sperling did point out “other organizations can benefit from this too . . . I’m doing this really on behalf of the community.”
But first the ledging needs to be installed.
“I’m willing to go ahead and do this,” said Sperling adding he was hoping the city would supply 50 per cent of the expected cost of around $60,000.
When asked, Sperling said he fully expects to have the ledging installed by August to allow marketing of advertising by organizations this fall.
Mayor Mitch Hippsley liked the idea.
“I love out of the box thinking,” he said.
Councillor Chris Wyatt said it is always good when someone steps forward to improve a city facility and are willing to cost share the work as well.
When asked where the City might access dollars for the project, City Manager Lonnie Kaal said it could come from the rainy day fund.
That was what Council chose to do, unanimously approving 50 per cent of the project costs up to $30,000.
