Herald photo by David Rossiter Adams Ice Arena was the location for a pick-up game of adult shinny Monday. City Council decided to reserve decision on the two Òmaster planÓ documents being considered, one of which deals with communityÕs parks, recreational and cultural programs.

Dave Mabell
LETHBRIDGE HERALD
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They're massive "master plans" written to guide city council's decisions.
Monday, council decided to reserve decision on the two documents - one covering the city's transportation systems, and one looking at the community's parks, recreational and cultural programs.
Both were recently presented to council, in advance of its decisions on the city's next capital improvement plan. Roadways, underground utilities, ice arenas and parks improvements are all under consideration.
So are upgrades to the aging Yates Centre, and a proposal for a performing arts theatre large enough to attract entertainers who now bypass Lethbridge.
Many citizens' comments have been received since the recreation and culture report was made public, points out Councillor Liz Iwaskiw. She successfully requested a two-week delay on council's consideration and possible endorsement of the report, now scheduled for its April 2 meeting.
"I need more time to take into consideration our feedback from the public," she said.
Much of that feedback called for council to put more emphasis on facilities for the city's arts community, instead of focussing mainly on recreation over the next four years. Many citizens also urged much higher priority for a new, 900-seat theatre.
Meanwhile two council members called for amendments to the transportation plan, before it's formally adopted by council. In a notice of motion, Coun. Faron Ellis is calling for the plan to be revised to call for a "conservative development option" for the city's transit system instead of an "aggressive" one recommended by consultants.
Ellis is also asking deletion of transit service level recommendations, saying those should be left for city council debate. And he wants references to the province's "Green Trip" transit grant program and the federal government's gas tax funding plan removed, since there's no guarantee they'll continue in the future.
In another notice of motion, Coun. Jeff Carlson is looking to weaken some of the master plan's recommendations. Where it suggests a "policy" be implemented, he's urging the items be labelled "goals" instead. And its "action items" would become "possible action items."
Council agreed to table revisions and adoption of the master plan for one month.