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A2 - The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, June 13, 2006 Some Catholic trustees still unsure about campus Io that end, trustees at the meeting were asked for input on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that has been carefully ham- mered out between the partners before being asked to vote on it at a future date. According to Superintendent of Facility Management Services Giacomo Corbacio, the MOU "is not a binding agreement, but an expression of the participants' intent to proceed with the Halton Regional Campus project." Corbacio assured trustees that aIl four partners must agree on everything becomes a reality "Staff believes that the concerns regarding autonomy, identity and catholicity are addressed in the MOU," he said, explaining that no one is legal- ly bound by the MOU's terms until such time as formai agreements have been settled. When Burlington Trustee Bob Van de Vrande expressed worry about pos- sible "irreconcilable differences" between the HCDSB and the other part- ners, Chair AI Bailey said that, as Catholics, they must he strong enough to move forward and have faith. "supercentre" concept is one which involves the creation of a major, 540,000-square-foot multi-use campus on the Bronje Road property currently occupied by Halton Regional headquar- ters as well as adjacent land that is up for sale. If it comes to pass, the site would be a central location that would include four distinct, stand-alone areas of office space for the Region, Halton Regional Police, HCDSB and the Halton District School Board, housing about 1,900 staff. It's estimated that the campus would cost approximately $127 million but would resulit in an overall savings of more than $20 million for taxpayers - as opposed to how much it would cost if each of the four partners pursued individual buildings. The site would also include an out- door community square and a multi- services facility linked to the office space that would bouse amenities~to be shared by the four partners, such as a joint board/council chambers, cafeteria, daycare service, support services or perhaps even a Tim Hortons. The project could prove to be an important step in solving overcrowding at the HCDSB's five cramped adminis- trative facilties and save taxpayers even more money through a host of efficien- cies. Still, doubts among some trustees remained, prompting Corbacio to say they're not alone and that the other partners have issues too. "We ail have our unique concerns and needs,' he said, using as an exam- pie the police, who may not want to share a print shop for security reasons. Because of these concerns, said Corbacio, a special article was added to the MOU. It states, "This MOU is based on the principle that the recognition and respect for the autonomy and iden- tity of each participant, their beliefs, culture, culture sensitivity, icons, imagery, uniqueness and values are considered of primary importance in the design and operation of the Halton Regional Campus facility" On the financial side, Corbacio explained the board will purchase its building and contribute to the shared facility - about 8.5 per cent of the costs. The board will also enter into a ground lease with the Region of $10 for 99 years. The next steps for the board include $42,500 for pre-design this July, $516,904 for design in February 2007 and $9,778,682 for construction in early 2008, for a total of just over $ 10.3 million. If the board decides to terminate its relationship with the campus in the future, the Region will buy its building for the fair market value at the time. SAVE 20-40% 00 FROM RETAIL OOPEN TO THE PUBLIC Q o SATURDAY ONLY OR CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT 'l . •