OLDS — Town council has approved a revised policy for booking parks and facilities.
Council gave initial approval to a draft version of the policy during its committee of the whole meeting at the beginning of July, then ratified it during a later regular council meeting.
Community services director Lorraine O’Brien told council that he policy covers trails, parks, recreation facilities and sports fields.
A document prepared by town staff says the chief administrative officer (CAO) is responsible for administering the policy and has the authority to temporarily adjust the service level if necessary. Council will be advised of temporary adjustments to the service level.
“It is recognized that needs vary between users and allocation of use must balance such needs with the economics of operating facilities and sports fields,” the policy says.
It also says the town will “strive for the highest utilization of facility use for establishing levels of service and space allocation of site-specific activity.”
The policy also says the Town of Olds will:
• “Establish and maintain ongoing preventative maintenance programs for facilities;
• Ensure all construction, maintenance, custodial, and operational duties will be done safely and efficiently to benefit the user groups, patrons, and staff;
• Maintain appropriate standards of behaviour at town recreation facilities green spaces, trails, and sports fields.”
The policy also says the Town of Olds will establish a set of fees “that are fair and equitable for users” as well as provide guidelines for typical use and scheduling of activities.
Booking priorities
The policy says parks and sports field facility booking priorities will be as follows:
• Town programs and/or services endorsed by the Town of Olds council and/or directly funded by the Town of Olds;
• Regular season programs and/or services provided by primary user groups;
• Programs and/or services for children and youth or non-traditional users provided by the Town of Olds or in partnership with schools within Chinook’s Edge School Division and/or Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools in the Olds recreation area (essentially the boundaries of Mountain View County);
• Programs and/or services provided by registered non-profit organizations and societies in good standing with the Town of Olds where the majority of participants live in the Olds recreation area and which are geared for participants under the age of 18; and where rental end time ends by 9:30 p.m.;
• Programs and/or services provided by a group, organization or individual associated with a recognized national, provincial, or regional governing body;
• Participant use by local groups or individuals for a not-for-profit recreational activity where most participants live in the Olds recreation area;
• Programs and/or services offered by private groups, organizations, or individuals whose primary purpose is to make a profit (i.e., commercial users).
Off-season prioritization for park and sports field, trails, and recreation facility booking will be determined by Town of Olds administration and will be based on the goal of maximizing utilization.
Users that cancel bookings may lose their right to secure future space and may lose their place in the priority consideration.
The policy also says the Town of Olds “does not guarantee the renewal of annual rental time.”
It also says “the Town (of Olds) will not be held responsible for any failure to provide space due to circumstances beyond its control.”
In addition, the policy says loss of facility space due to “unforeseen circumstances” – for example, maintenance and closures -- following the initial facility allocation “will not be borne by user and will not impact other user’s allocation.”
