Veiner Centre fees going up

SCAC chair says an increase couldn’t be avoided, adding that a flat fee made sense

Along with the transformation of the Veiner Centre comes a 150 per cent increase in membership fees.

The current annual membership is $40, which will increase to $100.

The fee increase was established after consultation with the Senior Citizens Advisory Committee and the clubs that use the Veiner and Strathcona facilities. They come into effect July 24, with existing memberships honoured until they expire, the city has said.

Considering the cost of running the Veiner Centre, the fee increase was not unexpected, says SCAC chair LaVerne Noble. One of the options considered was a membership fee plus a user fee for various activities. This is fairly consistent with other senior centres.

“It is very cumbersome and difficult to deal with,” said Noble. “We did recommend that a flat fee was, we felt, a better way to go.”

Without a flat fee it might have been up to the individual clubs to do some of the collection of the user fees, she explained. The SCAC’s suggested fee to the city was not as high as the one instituted.

Reflecting on the new building, which seniors are set to enjoy after extensive renovations, the increase could be considered reasonable, Noble says, adding that the total membership divided by the number of weeks in a year is the equivalent of the cost of a cup of coffee each week.

Although the fee increase did not come before council specifically, it was approved.

“City council approved the Subsidy Levels and User Fees for Public Services Policy (Policy 0160) and the Fair Entry Policy (Policy 0161) at the Dec. 5, 2016 council meeting,” city CAO Merete Heggelund said. “Under this policy, administration has authority to set the actual fee schedule, as long as the framework is followed. Having said that, council is fully appraised of the new senior centre fees.”

Noble says some seniors have expressed concern about the increase and so has one of the SCAC members. A decrease in membership because of the increase is a concern.

“I really hope that doesn’t happen,” said Noble.

A fitness membership will be $200 annually, plus a fitness centre access card onetime fee of $10 (refundable upon return of the card). A personal fitness program design will cost $50, and a full fitness assessment $100.

If you want to access the fitness centre and/or play billiards, currently, the cost is $150 a year, according to the city’s website.

An official celebration and grand re-opening of the Veiner Centre takes place July 24 from 2:30-4:30 p.m., with a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by self-guided tours and refreshments.

The first full day of operations at the Veiner Centre will be July 25.

Noble is very excited about the new centre and says it will be particularly special for all the clubs that have been meeting all over the city, for five years, to finally have a place to call home again.

Five years ago, the Veiner Centre on Woodman Avenue was so damaged by flood waters that it stood empty. Debate ensued about whether it could be refurbished or if a new building should be constructed at a different location.

In February 2016, council approved a budget of $11.6 million for a refurbishment and expansion. Work commenced in the spring of 2017. There was another $350,000 in the capital budget for planning and design, bringing the grand total to $11.95 million.