RDCK Board approves new recreation admissions and rental fees and charges
By Regional District of Central Kootenay
At its meeting on July 21, 2022, the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) Board of Directors approved a new fees and charges schedule for recreation admissions and rental fees. The new fees are effective September 6, 2022, and apply to drop-in, single-use, punch passes, and time-based memberships, as well as rental rates for aquatics centres and other facilities.
“The new fees and charges reflect work done over the past few years to build the Community Services fee framework as directed by the Board through the RDCK Fees and Charges Policy to provide greater consistency, transparency, and ability to evaluate the financial performance of services so we can provide better value,” said Joe Chirico, General Manager of Community Services for the RDCK. “The new fees also reflect an increase of 3.7% based on the March 2022 British Columbia Consumer Price Index (BCCPI).”
The BCCPI, or BC Cost of Living index, is a measure of the average change in prices paid by consumers in BC for a market basket of goods ranging from food and shelter to clothing, transportation, and recreation. The current BCCPI reflects the impact of factors including supply chain disruptions and other economic issues.
“RDCK recreation services are funded through a combination of user fees and taxation, and recreation is subsidized by the community for everyone’s benefit,” continued Chirico. “This framework allows the RDCK to enable lifelong participation in recreation and reduce barriers to recreation for children and youth. Costs for our operations have increased with inflation and are reflected in the new fees and charges, but we are still able to deliver high-quality recreation services at great value for users.”
In 2021, the new fees and charges schedule for admissions was approved to ensure greater consistent across all RDCK recreation services. Users were advised about changes such as no admission charges (100% subsidy or 0% cost recovery) for children under five years old and “Golden Guests” over 75. Fees in the Adult category were subsidized by taxation at 50% (or 50% cost recovery), while fees for youth aged five to 18 are subsidized at 75% (or 25% cost recovery).
For 2022, fees and charges for admissions adhere to the same framework, and increases are tied to the BCCPI.
Rental fees for all facilities, except for aquatics, are also increasing by 3.7% based on the BCCPI.
Aquatic centre rental fees are being brought in alignment with RDCK Fees and Charges Policy. These updated fees are calculated using facility operating costs and Policy-directed recovery rates. Some aquatic centre rental users may see an increase or decrease from previous area-specific aquatic centre rental rates.
All fees are effective September 6, 2022, and are automatically applied in the RDCK’s online registration system.
To view the 2022 fees and charges and the policy, visit the “Policies & Procedures” page at www.rdck.ca/recreation.
The RDCK continues to provide the Leisure Access Pass. This pass gives families and individuals with financial need the opportunity to access recreation facilities at a 50% discount on admission fees. To learn more visit: https://www.rdck.ca/EN/main/services/recreation/leisure-access-program.html.
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