Groups baffled by fee hikes

While costs have often been seen as ‘ridiculously low’ in the past, new fees proposed are a major increase

Girl Guide leaders, youth sports organizers, drop-in volleyball and pickle ball players and others who rent school gyms and fields say they are dismayed about fees set to skyrocket.

In mid-December, community groups received a revised schedule of fees for school gyms and sports fields, showing rental rates moving from the current $50 annual fee to an hourly rate of up to $12.50 for youths, and double that for adults.

Those fees were the result of negotiations between local school boards, the City of Medicine Hat and Medicine Hat College on a joint-use agreement.

Public school officials said higher fees are based on recovering their own costs of utilities and staff.

Some groups contacted by the News say an update of “ridiculously low” fees is needed, but as proposed, the change could add thousands of dollars of expense to a some budgets, and also require them to take out liability insurance.

Local Girl Guide unit leader Linda Gove said her registration fees could have to double over five years to keep pace with rental costs.

“To slap us with that large of an increase is absurd, and it’s going to affect a lot of children,” said Gove, who works as a salesperson with the News. “We’ve kept fees low to make sure it’s affordable, and already subsidize camps and uniforms if it’s needed.”

Guiding fees are currently $120 for the year, said Gove, who co-ordinates 200 girls using six school gyms at least one or two hours a night each week, 40 weeks over the winter months.

The fee formula change comes from proposals from SD 76, the Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education, the city and the Medicine Hat College to update a facility joint-use agreement that has been in place since 1982. It helps co-ordinate facility use and is administered by the city, though partners proposed their own fees, said SD 76 secretary-treasurer Jerry Labossiere.

“They’re based on operating costs of the facilities, and it’s an attempt to recover more of those costs for heat, light, wear and tear,” said Labossiere. “It’s a budget matter that was discussed with the city. It’s a joint agreement on how to charge for the community use of the facilities.”

New rules would also require groups to submit names of participants to ensure a majority reside in Medicine Hat to ensure locals get first access to facilities.

Similar fee changes for outdoor fields will go into effect in April for the new sports seasons.

Starting in September the hourly rate for a small gym used by a youth group would be $6.25 per hour, rising to $12.50 per hour in increments over four years. Adult fees for the same gym would climb from $12.50 this fall to $25 an hour in 2022.

Ed Dyck rents the Dr. Ken Sauer School gym each week for adult drop-in pickle ball. In September his rent would rise from $50 a year to $50 per week.

“If the new fee schedule is put in place it will, in all likelihood, terminate our use of a gym,” he said.

Allen Parker, who organizes Tiny Tots Soccer, said physical activity provided by community groups should be encouraged.

“With the increased expenses and regulations there will absolutely be a negative effect on people’s ability to participate,” he said.

David Schnare said the changes will move his gym rental fee from $53 per year, to $1,080 based on hours, an increase of 2,000 per cent. By 2022 the bill would balloon to $2,160.

“It’s exorbitant,” he told the News, while stressing he’s not opposed to updating current fees that “ridiculously low.”

“A reasonable cost would be $400 a year, or an 800 per cent increase,” he said. “From a user perspective, it should still be seen as reasonable by an overwhelming majority.”