Frequently Asked Questions

What is the CFMP and how does it differ from the IRFMP?

How do you determine what communities will receive facilities? What will these facilities include?

Will you be consulting the public? If so, how?

What will happen at the focus group?

What will the Public Open House meetings provide?

What is the project's timeline?

How will the facilities be paid for?

How will you decide what community facilities will be decommissioned?

1. What is the CFMP and how does it differ from the IRFMP?

The Community Facility Master Plan (CFMP) is an extension of the master plan for Indoor Recreation Facilities developed in 2004 (IRFMP). The CFMP will encompass all of the research and methodology from the IRFMP, and extend it into a long-term plan to dictate where exactly community facilities will be built throughout HRM over the next 20 years. It will also indicate what facilities will be decommissioned and when. The plan will include strategic planning for major outdoor facilities such as soccer pitches, ball fields, and tracks. The development of strategic funding strategies for capital and operating planning will also be included.

2. How do you determine what communities will receive facilities? What will these facilities include?

The IRFMP established some strong facilities planning principles. These principles prove that there is a need for financial information before facility development begins in any community. Community consultation and research throughout Canada, the US, and abroad helped to establish drive time criteria (how long it takes for citizens to drive to their respective facility) and access expectations relative to various types of facilities. One of the benefits of a good strategic plan is the opportunity to look at the HRM as a region, and to do planning that is “big picture.”

Communities that receive facilities in the future, and communities that have facilities decommissioned will be determined on the basis of the principles for facility development that enable good overall fiscal decision making and strong community access.

3. Will you be consulting with the public? If so, how?

Yes. The planning process for CFMP cannot be completed without consultation and public involvement. From the outset, we plan to communicate the details of the project and what our goals are. We have set up an online survey and will also call on the public to attend an open house meeting in March to share the details of the project, and to gather feedback on planning thus far.

4. What will happen at the focus group?

Focus group meetings will take place in January with specific special interest user groups. Participants for the focus group meetings will receive invitations based on their involvement in indoor sport, outdoor sport, culture and arts, community groups and clubs and arenas. The focus group format will allow these user groups to identify their specific needs, growth and development plans for future relative to their areas, and will contribute to the planning process from a facility user or sport perspective.

5. What will the Public Open House Meetings provide?

The public open house meetings will take place in March. They will be an opportunity for attendees to learn about the research and background of the project, the goals and objectives and proposed timeline for implementation. We look forward to gathering feedback on the process and intentions of the project from community members at this time. The format will provide opportunity for feedback and comments on the planning process and outcomes to date.

6. What is the project’s timeline?

The focus groups will happen in January, and the public open houses will take place in March. From there, an action plan and implementation plan will be finalized, and packaged into a presentation to Council for approval by May 2008.

7. How will the facilities be paid for?

The construction of a community facility (otherwise known as capital costs) are funded through a combination of different sources. Each Facility may be funded through different sources. Funding usually comes from one or more levels of government (municipal, provincial, federal), and also commitment from the community level. Some communities have chosen to establish an area rate to help with the cost of building a facility.

Once the facility has been built, the operations (operating costs) are funded through the implementation of a business plan that has researched and evaluated market opportunities, costing of services to be provided, and more. For the most part, facility operations are funded through revenues generated by the facility.

8. How will you decide what community facilities will be decommissioned?

Community facilities, like schools, shopping centres and houses have a specific lifecycle. The better the facility is maintained and upgraded, the longer the buildings will live. There comes a point in time when either because of new systems that are available, new community uses, or building operational costs it is in our collective best interest to decommission a facility. The CFMP will establish a protocol to lead us through this type of decision-making, and will make recommendations for decommissioning regarding our existing facilities (if necessary).