South Frontenac User Fees

Jeff Green | Oct 02, 2024

South Frontenac Township has been working on a multi-year process to upgrade its recreational facilities across the township, in line with a recreation and leisure master plan that was adopted by council in 2022.

That process has resulted in upgrades to indoor and outdoor facilities, including the renovations to the Storrington Centre, upgrades to Harrowsmith Centennial Park, and a network of Pickleball and Tennis courts.

This week, council received a Consultant’s report and proposed Recreation Service Fee and Facility Allocation Policy.

The report, which was prepared by Sierra Planning and Management, started by looking at the way facilities are booked and paid for currently, and the consultants did not like what they found.

It found that many of the groups who make the most use of facilities, do not pay. The result is that “those who have the highest level of use, do not pay, which runs counter to the philosophy of a balance between tax support and user fees” according to the report.

The report said this situation stems from “out of date user agreements that perpetuate inequity”. It describes the fee schedule as an “ad hoc relic that is stuck in time”, resulting in a flawed cost recovery system that “inhibits future commitment to full service and new capital investment.”

Looking in detail at the current situation, the consultants determined that 75% of all booked time in both township halls and parks, is not paid at all, based on historic user agreements. The halls are the biggest reason for this high level of free use, as about 50% of organised use of parks is currently generating at least some revenue.

“As a result” the report concludes, “revenue per hour is low, and there is no relationship between the current fee schedule and revenues received.”

In terms of cost recovery, looking only at maintenance costs and excluding capital costs, indoor facilities (halls) generate 8.7% in fees towards maintenance costs, and outdoor facilities 9.8%.

The report proposes that the first principle for a new fee structure is for everyone who uses township recreational facilities to pay for the use, with provisions for fee exemptions in very specific cases.

Taking a $10 per hour base cost for current “non-payer” groups, in order to look at the impact of a new fee structure on cost recover, the report says that if the groups were paying $10 per hour now, cost recover would rise to 25%. If user groups were given a 50% discount to $5 per hour, it would result in 17% cost recovery.

The report goes on the propose a new fee schedule. For the lowest fee paying groups using township halls, (Storrington, Glendower, Harris Park, Sydenham Community Room), which includes everyone from the Storrington Retirees to the local fire departments, community services, and the VON, the proposed fee is $10 per hour. For use by local residents for private events, for weddings, stag and does, etc, it is $15 per hour, and for non-resident groups or individuals it is $40 per hour.

For outdoor facilities, including ball diamonds and soccer fields, the rate for local user groups targeting youth and seniors; youth sports leagues, model train engineers and even Canada Day committees, the proposed rate is $12.50 per hour in the daytime (7am-5pm) and $15 per hour between 5pm and 11pm because of lighting costs.

For local groups targeting adults, including MT Adventures of South Frontenac Stocksport, the rate is $20per hour (daytime) and $24 (after 5pm). The proposed non-resident rate is $60 per hour (daytime) and $72 per hour (after 5pm).

Court users (Pickleball, Tennis, and Basketball) will get a break under the proposals. The local youth and senior user fee is $2 per hour (daytime) and $2.40 (night time) and for local adult groups it is $3 (daytime) and $3.60 (after 5pm)

In terms of exceptions, the report recommends that the be limited to local fundraising events, funerals and celebrations of life, mobile public services that are free to the public, blood donor clinics, and foodbank activities.