Differential pricing at the pool was a topic of interest at city council during discussion of planned recreational fee increases.
In a report shared at the Jan. 13 council meeting, Shuswap Recreation Society (SRS) general manager Darin Gerow provided a list of proposed rates for use of the various facilities overseen by the society, including the SASCU Recreation Centre, Rogers Rink and the SASCU Sports Complex at Little Mountain. The new rates reflect an average increase of three per cent, with some variance to recreation centre and rink drop-in rates. These have been rounded to the nearest quarter, as Gerow said they're typically paid in cash. The cost of the 10- and 30-use passes will also be changing to reflect the new drop-in rates, minus a 10 per cent discount.
Gerow said the new rates come into effect Feb. 1 and, in a written report, explained staff would "attempt to continually monitor competition rates with other regional recreation facilities in order to maintain equity and reduce the likelihood that users will travel to neighbouring communities to use facilities."
Coun. Kevin Flynn asked about an impending SRS report regarding facility users, noting the society has been gathering postal codes to help determine where users are from.
"My concern and the message I want to send is we still have a significant concern around free users, people that don’t pay taxes in Salmon Arm but pay the same rates, use the facilities as our taxpayers do and those are the people in the regional district," said Flynn, who asked for and received confirmation that council could bring in differential pricing later in the year.
Coun. Debbie Cannon offered an example of differential or tiered pricing used by the City of Vernon that gives residents a 50 per cent discount on the use its recreational facilities.
"For instance, the adult rate for a Vernon resident for the pool is $8.40 and a non resident it’s $16.80…," said Cannon, who argued in favour of bringing similar tiered pricing into effect in Salmon Arm, to set money aside for a future recreation centre/pool upgrade/replacement project – a medium-term priority (2025-2027) in the city's corporate strategic plan.
"I think when we look how much the capital infrastructure is going to cost… we need to start differential pricing now so we’ll have that money to collect and set aside for our pool," said Cannon, who referred to past studies that indicated around 30 per cent of facility users are non-residents. "I know this is not a decision for Shuswap Recreation Society and it’s a decision that needs to be made at this table, but it’s something I really want us ot move ahead on…"
Gerow said said the report would be done in March.
"It’s pretty reasonable to go and have a swim or a skate in Salmon Arm. So I appreciate the Shuswap Recreation Society and the work that they do," commented Mayor Alan Harrison, who did not want to discuss differential pricing but noted Electoral Area C of the Columbia Shuswap Regional District contributes $60,000 annually towards Rogers Rink. "So this is the kind of thing councillors are talking about in order to eliminate differential pricing for an area, a donation like that."
