SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
City council roundly rejected pleas from a Yellowknife paddling club Monday night to lower the rate it charges recreational groups to use the pool.
Kayaker John Blythe takes part in Somba K'e Paddling Club event at Ruth Inch Memorial Pool in 2011. The group was hoping to have the rate the city charges it to use the pool lowered but city council rejected that request on Monday. - NNSL file photo
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The Somba K'e Paddling Club, pays the city $160.5 per hour which costs participants $20 each time they take part in a paddling club event at the pool. The group rate at Ruth Inch Memorial, which has been in place since at least 2007, is just too high for user groups to pay, the group argues.
“As a volunteer organization with no core funding, we struggle to recover our full costs from members and provide affordable rates for our pool sessions due to the city's pool rental fees,” wrote club president Steve Hatch in a letter to council earlier this month.
City councillor Dan Wong, who was the sole councillor to support lowering the rate, called on council to lower it to $120 for non-profit groups but his motion was overwhelmingly rejected by council. Like Hatch, Wong argued that if council could create “a rental rate for non-profit clubs” it would allow the club to book more time and hence bring in more revenue for the pool. It would also free up space for sessions which are always crammed because of the high number of people and kayaks needed to cover rental costs.
“If we rented for one and a half hour sessions, it costs us $240,” said Hatch on Monday. “We need 14 people paying $20 each to break even. If we have 14 people then it is going to be a pretty packed session and we aren't going to get value for money.”
The paddling club submitted a fee index from various pools across the North that show, in some cases, wildly different rates charged to user groups. Fort Smith groups are charged $70 per hour while the going rate in Hay River is $185 per hour.
Hatch and Wong both argued that other groups, such as the underwater hockey club, can't function at all given the pool rates.
The rest of council wasn't buying it, however, largely because the rates have already been budgeted for the year.
“I'm also not in favour of this motion because in April or May, which is just a few days away, we will be doing an annual review of our fees and charges – that is everything from the solid waste facility, to the pool to snowmobile licenses,” said Coun. Rebecca Alty.
“At that time we will be presented with the pool fees and if we want to reduce them then, I think we should do that when we're looking at the big picture.”
Coun. Niels Konge and Bob Brooks made similar arguments, saying that the fees and charges were set for 2013 and that reductions should not be considered until the next time council looks at the rates.
“I'm certainly not going to look at user fees on an individual club basis,” said Konge. “There is no way I am willing to do that. If, as a council, we want to look at all of our user fees, then I am most willing to have that discussion.”
Konge pointed out that there have been comparisons between the paddling club and the Polar Bear Swimming Club which has a reduced rate, however, he said nobody in the latter group is over 18. Konge said he would not look at individual groups because it would “open the floodgates” to user groups all over the city looking for reductions as well.
“My concern is that Dan wants to do it just for the paddling club and how is that fair to all the other clubs that are in the exact same position,” added Brooks.
