A South Kent councillor believes a municipal loan for Blenheim's new senior's centre could be the first of many.
Chatham-Kent Council has approved a $300,000 interest-free loan to complete the Senior's Activity Centre on Marlborough St. in Blenheim. This comes nearly a month after councillors heard about overcrowding at a number of senior centres in the area.
Councillor Frank Vercouteren feels more seniors' groups will appeal for money, and the municipality needs to be ready.
"I think there will be other requests," says Vercouteren. "That's why some of the councillors are concerned about this starting a new habit of borrowing money interest-free. So I can imagine there will be some conditions that come with the next application."
The Blenheim and Community Senior Citizens Group's original plan to pay back the loan was to sell their old property for around $130,000, and raise the remaining funds. But they've since decided to try and use the property as an additional parking lot. Vercouteren doesn't think this will be their strategy for long.
"There's no one there at night, so why would the new parking lot not be sufficient for them? I can't see them going across the street and maintaining another piece of property they have to pay taxes on. So I would think that building will probably be up for sale," says Vercouteren.
The group has until the end of 2018 to repay the loan.