Renfrew’s new myFM Centre adds five new employees to meet the growing demand for programming

The classic line from the Hollywood film Field of Dreams can easily be applied to the new myFM Centre in Renfrew. The 96,000 sq. ft. addition has not only seen an increase in the number of people using all parts of the expanded recreational complex, but the higher level of demand has led to the addition of four full-time and one term Maintenance/Janitor/Labourer (MLJ) positions for the town’s Recreation Operations division.

Kelly Latendresse, the town’s Director of Community and Recreation Services and Library CEO, brought forward a report to the Committee of the Whole (COW) outlining the rationale for the hiring in light of increased programming and that current staff are finding it difficult to deliver quality with the addition of amenities within the new complex. They are also responsible for maintaining the town’s 16 parks, various sports fields and recreational trails including the Millennium Trail.

She said Tammy Caruthers, one of the external auditors who completed a review of the Ma-te-Way expansion and its runaway $35 million budget earlier this year, was commissioned by the town prior to the audit to look at various town departments.

“The Public Works and Parks and Recreation Maintenance Service Delivery Review presented by Tammy Carruthers of WCSC Consultants in 2022, indicated that the recreation department was, at that time, 13 positions below the average department size,” Ms. Latendresse said.

She explained that earlier this year four positions were added in anticipation of the opening of the second ice pad and the newly expanded facility. She said at the time, there was no real way of determining the number of staff that would be needed to meet the required service levels and obligations under the Collective Agreement.

There are currently eight staff members working 40 hours per week, which works out to 320 staff hours per week.

“Ideally, we would like our staff to be working in teams of two,” she told council. “The staffing matrix we operate under is a minimum of two staff with two shifts per day (i.e. four staff per day). This means we staff 280 hours of facility time each week.”

She completed her report by informing council the extra workload is taking its toll on the current staff.

“We are struggling to maintain level of service in all areas. Staff are going above and beyond to do what they can, however we are unable to meet all vacation requests, or provide necessary health and safety training to staff. We are seeing signs of staff burnout and experiencing attrition.”

Treasurer Charlene Jackson stated in the report the cost to hire the additional staff for the remainder of 2024 will be about $169,960. She noted that due to a number of staff changes, including a resignation and an elimination of one position, there is room in the overall payroll budget for these positions.

Council Supports Hirings

Last week’s COW meeting was chaired by Councillor Clint McWhirter as all council members have an opportunity to chair the meetings for an entire month on a rotational basis. Neither Mayor Tom Sidney, nor Reeve Peter Emon were present and the five new members of council who have built a reputation over the last 18 months as being leery to bring on any new additional hires or approve unexpected expenses in light of the Ma-te-way financial debacle, were surprisingly supportive of the large hiring request presented to them.

Councillor Jason Legris said now was not the time to quibble over human resources and associated costs.

“I just want to take a moment and thank the staff for all their hard work,” he said. “Something has to happen and we don’t want to cut services.”

Councillor John McDonald asked Ms. Latendresse if the five new hires will complete the staffing measures in order to deliver quality programming to those using the new facility.

She pointed out to Coun. McDonald that staff are responsible not just for the activity centre, but for maintaining all of the town’s recreation facilities, 16 parks, cleaning and maintaining the trails and sports fields.

“I am not sure how many hectares of grass needs to be cut, but they are responsible for all the grass cutting and all the facilities and not just the myFM Centre,” she said.

Councillor Andrew Dick, who works out of the new complex and is a regular user of the facilities, supported the request for the new hires.

“I am out there a lot and you can see it in their faces…they are exhausted,” he said. “And anytime I am in the myFM Centre, there is someone always cleaning. That shows you it takes a lot to keep that place clean and presentable. So yes, I support this (hiring of five staff) 100 percent. We need this.”

Coun. McWhirter, who has a reputation of resisting any new hires, was one of the biggest supporters of the staffing request.

“Anybody who builds a facility this big has to know that you are going to have to staff it,” he said. “You cannot continue along with the same level of staff for a building that is maybe one-third the size. You have to make new positions to staff that and I think most people would understand that.”

Ms. Latendresse said she could not estimate if she would return to the council table requesting any more staffing increases. She said it will take a year, including the addition of a year-round ice pad, to fully understand the operational costs of the facility and the proper staffing needed to meet the growing demands of the facility.

Bruce McIntyre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eganville Leader