Rates at the Penhold Regional Multiplex are increasing after councillors voted to accept several recommended rate increases during their meeting on Feb. 27.
Penhold council had tabled the proposed rate increases twice for more discussion around specific policies like cancellation. A cancellation policy and a local team policy are still to be hammered out but council decided to vote on the rate changes, which passed unanimously, during the Feb. 27 meeting.
Rick Binnedyk, chief administrative officer for Penhold, attempted to clarify the “turn back” policy for council.
Binnedyk said the turn back policy applies to groups who have long-term bookings, like ice time for potential playoff games that a team doesn't qualify for. In those cases, 21 days notice will be required to cancel without forfeiting the deposit and payment.
Special events are a separate issue from the turn back policy, Binnedyk said.
“That's a whole different ball game,” he said.
Coun. Danielle Klooster said a turn back policy for ice was different from a cancellation policy for the various rooms available at the multiplex.
“We need a policy that applies to the ice, the gym and the meeting rooms,” she said.
Other comments from council indicated a consensus on the need for a clear cancellation policy.
“What I'm hearing is it's not clear enough,” Mayor Dennis Cooper said.
Binnedyk then raised the issue of clarifying what qualifies as a local team. He asked council if simply having “Penhold” in the name was enough.
Cooper said the Penhold Amazons, though no players are actually from Penhold, have shown community spirit and should be considered a local team for the purposes of ice rates.
Binnedyk said other teams also use “Penhold” in their names despite not having many or any players from the town.
Klooster suggested developing a policy for more than just ice rates, but rentals for the gym as well.
“We need to have some parameters,” Klooster said.
Council decided that a cancellation policy and a local team policy could be developed at a later date.
New facility rates will take effect this fall according to Derek Crichton, the facility manager. New rates include an increase from $109 to $149 for a local minor hockey youth group using the ice surface, out-of-town adult groups using the ice during non-prime time seeing the price increase to $149 from $139, gym and meeting room rate changes and more.
In a previous interview with the Innisfail Province Crichton said the rate increase is to help cover the high costs of running the facility.
“People have to understand that these facilities don't run on air. There is not a single recreation facility out there that is making money,” Crichton said. “We want to be closer to cost recovery so residents don't have to foot the bill.”
