my take on Arts Centre ownership, control and responsibility

Here's my view on the question of the Arts Centre ownership to be discussed, and probably decided, Thursday late afternoon at an Arts Council meeting scheduled to start at 5:30.

I think the Arts Council should continue to own and operate the Arts Centre, located on the property owned by PRRD. This way, the community, through the Arts Council, maintains control of the building and its use (subject to a few conditions from the Regional District, and possibly with some RD grants/funding).

To hand ownership and control to the Regional District will make it harder for community members to do whatever is necessary and/or wanted, and will impose extra costs (for both the building and the bureaucracy to make the decisions and organize them) on Lasqueti taxpayers.

Community members built, organized the moving, and have expanded the building. We are capable of maintaining and repairing it, and looking after it in every way, including working with the RD/landowner to meet their needs. It's simpler, and more local and more direct.for us to do it ourselves, working together, as we've been doing.

I'd love to read other views, especially different ones, as I am not planning to attend the meeting to vote on the question.