Saint Andrews citizens call for campground lease to go to public tender
Saint Andrews town council will hold a special meeting Monday night to discuss opening up the lease for the campground site at Indian Point to public tender.
The Kiwanis Club's 25-year lease at Oceanfront Camping has expired and a group of local citizens contends it's the town's "fiduciary responsibility" to put the "very valuable" town asset, which generates hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue, out to tender.
"The Municipalities Act calls for town assets to be managed to the best and highest use for the citizens," said resident Jay Remer, who is scheduled to speak at the public meeting.
"It's very much like establishing fair market value by a public auction. You have other people who can bid and you find out what's the best deal we can get for our community."
Remer also stressed the importance of the lease process being handled in a "fair, open, and totally transparent" way, noting three of town council's seven members belong to Kiwanis — Guy Groulx, who was the club president as of October 2016, Kurt Gumushel and Andrew Harrison.
Kiwanis officials and Mayor Doug Naish could not immediately be reached for comment.
Remer described the lease as a "golden egg."
He said the campground generates an estimated $600,000 to $700,000 a year. Of that, Kiwanis gives about $40,000 back to the community in the form of various grants, he said.
"It would seem that an asset that had the potential to generate that kind of income, more of that income should come back to the town coffers."
'Funding for community needs'
A public notice being circulated about the issue disputes Remer's figures. It indicates nearly $186,000 went back into the community in 2015 alone.
"For nearly 70 years, the Kiwanis campground's proceeds have supported community organizations, scholarships and local projects such as town playing fields, trails and Passamaquoddy Lodge upgrades," the notice states.
If council votes to end the Kiwanis lease, "funding for community needs will disappear," it warns.
The Kiwanis Club will also remove the nearly $1 million in infrastructure it has invested in the campground site, according to the notice.
"Unless someone else makes a similar investment, the town will lose thousands of annual visitors who support our local businesses."
Kiwanis could compete
Remer acknowledged the campground has been "incredibly important" to the community. It has brought in a lot of tourists and provided "extraordinary" spinoff business.
Kiwanis members have done a "fantastic job … and they are to be applauded," he said.
Still, Remer said, other people should have the opportunity to make proposals on what might be the best use for the land.
"There may not be any other proposals, but I think that there could be," he said.
"An open process would allow certainly the Kiwanis to put in a proposal just like anyone else, and I should think that since they did such a good job before that they could put together a very good proposal."
The meeting is scheduled to be held at 8 p.m. at the W.C. O'Neill Arena Complex (theatre).
