SMP user fees up for discussion

By Sharon McLeay Times Contributor

The Town of Strathmore is seeking approval from its partners for the proposed user fee schedule and facility rental fees that will be charged for accessing Strathmore Motor Products (SMP) Sports Centre.
Tracy Simpson, Strathmore’s director of community and protective services and Mark Pretzoff, the town’s recreation manager, presented the suggested draft schedule to Wheatland County on Oct. 2 and explained their rationale on the amounts suggested.
“Our goal with this project is to create a fee structure that promotes and encourages participation in sports, health and wellness, and active living to the overall benefit of the community,” said Pretzoff.
A cost comparison of other rural towns was completed and the representatives stated the suggested fees were mid-track to other municipalities. They said they are also in line with the other recreation facilities in Strathmore.
“We want to be proactive and fill the facility 12 months of the year,” said Simpson.
A survey was also done to get feedback from Strathmore residents on what they might be willing to pay. While some indicated they wouldn’t pay for walking track use when they could access the outdoors, others indicated they would support reasonable fees.
They suggested $1 to $2 would be the drop-in walking track fee. They are also considering fees for one-time drop-in use, multiple use passes, team utilization and facility rentals, and fees for the walking track only. Spectators would not pay entrance fees and they are developing allowances for people with disabilities with no fee required for companion helpers.
Fees would be adjusted for prime and off-season use. They averaged the fees to compensate for periods such as in summer when the facility might not be used as much. They hope to start some unique programming that will encourage residents to come out and use the facility.
Under the agreement, Golden Hills School Division has priority over daytime usage. After hours and weekends, the schedule would prioritize community usage and following that, users outside the partnership.
The town is looking for a 70 per cent recovery on costs based on usage and donations for the facility, so they don’t face the deficits they have seen with other facilities in the town. Fees were not based on 100 per cent recovery in order to make the fees more affordable to users. They consider any headway toward that goal will take at least five years.
Wheatland County council wanted a more detailed breakdown of what the county is expected to pay. Simpson said the agreement stipulates that the town and county would be responsible for deficit coverage on the facility, and the county share would be 30 per cent of the deficit. The budget is not finalized by Strathmore council, so council asked for the final figures to be forwarded to them before they approve the fees. The county has allotted $75,000 annually to support the centre, over and above the donation they made in the building construction. Part of the partnership funds goes towards a capital maintenance fund to meet future repair needs.
Wheatland County Councillor Jason Wilson said the fee structure was too expensive and cited lower fees charged by rural centres with multiple services such as multiple ice surfaces, pools, gyms, a library and curling rinks housed under one roof.
“You go a half hour either way and you are getting more amenities for less of a price,” said Wilson. “I just don’t think you are getting very much for what you get in other places.”
Councillor Tom Ikert said compared to what is charged in the city, the fees seemed reasonable, or could be higher.
He suggested an all-rec pass that covered access to all facilities in Strathmore may be a better value. Simpson said they are looking at a fee model for that in 2019.