A new set of fees for Penhold Regional Multiplex rentals was approved by council at its regularly scheduled meeting May 27, with the exception of meeting room rates which seemed too high to some of the members. The motion was approved unanimously.
“I understand we're trying to make money, but we're not trying to make the rooms unrentable,” said Coun. Danielle Klooster, noting an increase may make the location less preferable to certain users than hotel spaces in Red Deer.
The Town of Penhold has been looking for ways to make the facility pay for itself, including purchasing a tanning bed, jacking up rates for the fitness centre and hammering out a deal for guaranteed ice time for the Red Deer College Kings men's hockey team.
During the months of October – March local youth minor groups will pay $170.10/hr up from $149/hr for 4:30 p.m. start times. The regional non-prime time/non-profit weekday rate was set at $99/hr up from $89/hr, and the non-regional non-prime time/weekday rate was set at $119/hr up from $109/hr.
Reginal non-prime time/non-profit weekday ice rates between April and September went up to $99/hr from $89/hr. The youth rate for this time period hit $189/hr from $169.
Adult/non-local groups will pay $107.10/hr up from $149/hr (start time 9:45 p.m.). Gymnasium rental rates went up to $59/hr from $49/hr for youth and to $69/hr from $59/hr. Arena dryland off-season rates stayed the same.
An administration report noted the facility is in high demand. “We do not foresee a drop in our future ability to sell time with these small price increases as we have addressed our users' questions through our ice user meetings as well as announcing the addition of the RDC Kings program,” reads the report submitted as part of the council package.
But Klooster took issue with using the inclusion of Wi-Fi Internet access to the meeting rooms as a reason to boost hourly meeting room rental rates by $10, cited by the report as an explanation.
“It's been very difficult to access the WiFi,” she said. “I can see maybe a five dollar an hour increase.”
Having rented meeting room space in the multiplex before, Klooster noted there are additional charges above and beyond the sticker price, including $25 for a pot of coffee and additional money for snacks.
