To get more people using Red Deer’s recreation facilities, city council is freezing drop-in fees for 2018, while raising monthly memberships and rental fees by three per cent.
Mayor Tara Veer said it’s important to keep local pools, rinks and gyms affordable to a broad range of people – including families hard-hit by the economic downturn.
“I want to take a strong position for accessibility,”added Veer, who like the rest of council is concerned about decreasing revenues as fewer people use Red Deer’s rec. facilities.
The fixed costs of these buildings must still be carried, she noted, so “the best way to get ahead of the curb” is to keep entry fees down and get more users through the turnstiles.
Council faced a choice between two options Tuesday: Increase all recreation admissions, memberships and facility rentals by three per cent – or to freeze only drop-in admissions and raise memberships and rental fees by three per cent.
Coun. Lawrence Lee initially suggested raising fees across the board.
“This is not easy for me … but something’s got to give.” The facilities are not sustainable, as is, he said. “Either you reduce the hours of operation, or you increase the rates.”
Lee’s motion was supported by Coun. Frank Wong – who thought more affordable recreation options exist, such as a going to the lower cost Dawe Centre instead of the Collicutt Centre – and Coun. Ken Johnston, who saw it as a matter of equity.
Why should people who use drop-in admissions be treated differently than those who would be paying for increased memberships, Johnston questioned.
But Coun. Dianne Wyntjes supported the second option, saying many families can’t factor cost-saving memberships into their monthly budgets, so have to pay on a drop-in basis.
She defined “equity” as keeping drop-in admission fees within reach of those who can’t afford monthly memberships because they are “struggling with the current economic reality … (that way) hopefully we can encourage more use of our facilities.”