City eyes boosting fees over next three years at pools, arenas, golf courses

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Londoners will have to dig deeper into their pocketbooks in the new year to use city facilities, especially when it comes to Centennial Hall, if city councillors approve a raft of proposed increases.

A public meeting will be held Tuesday to discuss the planned increases to user fees at facilities the city maintains, the bulk related to recreation. But drastic increases are proposed for rentals of one of the city’s entertainment venues.

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The increases in 2025 to 2027 are necessary to keep up with the rising cost of labour and maintaining facilities, says a city staff report that will discussed Tuesday at a meeting of council’s strategic priorities and policy committee.

“These are just fee increases that are directly tied to the cost of doing business, the cost of offering these services in the first place,” deputy mayor Shawn Lewis said.

Broken down by the type of rental, rates will increase at Centennial Hall anywhere from 25 to 400 per cent if the changes are approved:

• Auditorium, banquet style: $4,000, up from $1,000 in summer, $1,500 otherwise
  • New Year’s Eve: $6,500, up from $2,500
  • Rehearsal stage: $2,500, up from $600
• Banquet Hall:
  • Half of hall: $1,500, up from $500 or $1,000
  • Weekends/Holidays: $1,500, up from $1,000
  • New Year’s Eve: $2,500, up from $2,000
  • Trade shows: $1,500 per day, up from $1,000
• Lounge: $1,000, up from $250
  • After events: $500, up from $200
• Full building: $5,000, up from $3,500
• Teen dances or pub nights: $4,000, up from $1,000
• Early/late access charge: $250 per hour, up from $50

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Lewis, chair of the strategic priorities and policy committee, said many of the current charges at Centennial Hall are out of date. At an event such as a graduation ceremony, staff costs, including security, are “significant,” he said.

“At the end of the day, (it’s) a product of inflation that the city is not immune to,” Lewis said.

Brad Jones, president of the Jones Entertainment Group that manages Centennial Hall, had a hand in recommending the increased fees. He said the proposed increases will bring the venue more in line with others across the country.

While his company retains a limited ability to raise rates, the last major overhaul in fees happened in 2012. Non-profit groups will still get a reduced rate when booking a number of events in a year ahead of time.

“We are a community facility, we are very respectful to the local users . . . and they will continue to get a subsidized rate,” Jones said. “This is just purely keeping up with other cities and municipalities and what their art centres are charging.”

Jones said the hall hosted 142 events last year and has so far held 192 events this year, and doesn’t expect any negative impacts from the higher fees.

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Compared to venues in Hamilton or Kitchener, which are subsidized to the tune of $1 million to $1.5 million a year, Centennial Hall only receives about $100,000 to $150,000, he said.

“The costs of heat, hydro, staffing costs, that type of thing, that’s to keep us in line so we’re not under-charging,” Jones said. “We want to be fair market value.”

On the recreation side, everything from swimming admission and lessons, public skating and ice rentals, golf admission and memberships, to fitness programming also will be facing fee increases largely between two and four per cent a year for the next three years.

In the staff report, the reason for the change is simply chalked up to the recent 3.9 per cent increase in the Ontario minimum wage, to $17.20 a hour.

A new overnight on-street parking permit fee also will be introduced next year, costing $15.

The staff report highlights that user fees, which make up four per cent of the city’s revenue, are intended to cover all or part of the cost of the services involved, meaning there is no budget impact.

The fee increases will be up for discussion Tuesday at 1 p.m. The committee recommendation on fees will have to be approved by city council.

jmoulton@postmedia.com

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