A funding request from the Lakeland Scuba Society was brought before the city of Cold Lake council during the May 14 regular council meeting. The society is seeking up to $2,500 to cover operational costs, but the council decided to postpone the decision due to liability concerns.
During the meeting, CAO Kevin Nagoya summarized the society’s needs. He explained, “In their presentation, they described that they were looking for help sustainability-wise to continue with their organization. In order to dive, they need help with being able to fill up bottles and the pumps that are necessary for them,” Nagoya also pointed out the financial constraints, noting that while these requirements do cost money, the request didn’t fit neatly into the existing community grant categories. However, it might be considered under the equipment grants.
Coun. Chris Vining expressed reservations about the request, particularly due to the lack of matching funds from the society. “The problem I have with the end of the agreement is because they don’t have matching funds, right? I’m just concerned with, I guess, putting more money out that we’re not sure where it’s going to go,” Vining stated.
At an earlier council meeting on April 23, Ken Squire, a representative from the Lakeland Scuba Society, proposed that if the council provided funding for equipment, the club could assist in cleaning up the lake for events like Canada Day and Aqua Days. Coun. Ryan Bailey suggested exploring a free-for-service model, proposing that the cleanup could be included in the Aqua Days budget as a contracted service.
Nagoya ultimately recommended postponing the decision due to liability concerns and the need for a more comprehensive solution. He explained, “When you’re hiring a contractor to do scuba work, there’s a whole different liability aspect.” Mayor Craig Copeland agreed, emphasizing that a decision should be made only when more information is available.
The council made a motion to postpone the decision and will revisit the Lakeland Scuba Society’s funding request at a future meeting.
