During a regular community centre committee meeting the public will be able to ask questions of both committee members and staff about the multi-use centre project.

Coun. David Barrick has had many a constituent approach him about the project and felt it imperative to allow them to have a voice.

"People want to give their opinions and they haven't really had a chance," he said. "The committee has had public meetings in the past but they have invited specific user groups not the general taxpayers, the people who are paying for it. At least not in this term."

Barrick said the purpose behind the meeting is two-fold. This first is to clear up any rumours floating around about the project and the second is to hear what it is the taxpayers want.

"This is probably the biggest issue council is facing, and I say biggest because of the dollars," he said. "This project is expected to cost in the range of $20 million - $30 million. It has a huge impact on any decision council will be able to make."

The project, which is now at the request for proposal stage, is expected to cost $25 million, of which $3 million has been chipped in by the province's health promotion ministry.

City staff are in the process of preparing the request for proposals on the project, which are expected to be sent out in the near future. The community centre committee has specified that proposals must include two ice pads, a swimming pool and a field house. Additional items, which have not yet been decided on, include a lazy river, indoor track, wave pool, dining areas, condo development, hotel, retail outlets and more.

"At the very least we have to replace the arenas and pool," said Coun. Bill Steele who chairs the committee. He noted Centennial Pool has a limited lifetime left and to continue pouring money into an aging facility is bad business.

"We're spending $30,000 to $40,000 on it this year," he said. "It's time to get moving."

Two years ago a report came to council outlining projected costs for repairing the existing facilities and replacing all three in one central location. To repair the pool and the two rinks would cost roughly $16 million, replacing all three in a central location would cost between $20 million and $22 million.

Barrick said it's important to get a grasp on what the community wants before deciding on any components above and beyond the necessary ones.

Council will have to make some big decisions in the near future pertaining to the project such as location, amenities and how the project should be funded, all of which should be sorted out in the RFP process.

"We don't need the Taj Mahal of community centres," Steele said. "We've looked at the bare bones model and we've looked at the Cadillac model. What we do need is the core services."

While a public meeting is a part of the RFP process, Barrick felt it necessary to inform the public and hear input before it moved ahead any further.

Recently members of the Friends Over 55 seniors centre sent a petition with more than 200 signatures opposing the project to city hall. Spokesperson Jack O'Neil said the senior population in Port Colborne cannot afford the new complex.

"The seniors can't take anymore," O'Neil said in a recent interview. "They can't afford to pay anymore, they can't afford to stay in their homes."

O'Neil said while the complex may be nice, it's not fair for everyone, including those who won't use it, to foot the cost.

While the public are invited to speak at the meeting Steele asks that the questions be limited to information sharing.

"We don't want to be there all night debating decisions that have already been made," Steele said. "It's about information sharing and gathering."

Those who are unable to attend the May 14 meeting can drop off their comments at city hall prior to the meeting. Questionnaires will be circulated at the meeting.