Petition on Fee to Edmonton Community Leagues for the Usage of Edmonton Schools for Community League Programs (R. Rosenberger)
Recommendation:That this report be received for information.
Report Summary
- This report provides a response to an inquiry from Councillor Rosenberger regarding gymnasium user fees.
Previous Council/Committee Action
At the City Council meeting of May 19, 1998, Councillor Rosenberger made the following inquiry:
“I recently received a petition signed by one hundred and twenty individuals that states: ‘The following citizens of Edmonton have signed this petition to protest a proposal of a fee of ten dollars ($10.00) per hour to be charged to Edmonton Community Leagues for the usage of Edmonton schools for community league programs.’
I would like a response which outlines how this fee was determined, when it will be implemented, who will receive these monies and how this fee might impact community programming. Also, could the community leagues be exempted from paying these fees?
I would like this information to come back to the next meeting of the Community Services Committee on May 25, 1998.”
Report
- How was this fee determined?
During the public consultation process in revising the Joint Use Agreement, the Joint Use Steering Committee heard from community groups who needed to play their sport only on the weekends, or conversely only during the week. It was identified that in some cases adult organizations were using weekday time based on their specific needs and paying nothing. On the other hand, minors were using weekend time based on their specific needs and paying a premium rate. In other cases, some groups paid for use of schools while others were allowed free access based on relationships with the school. To increase access fair and equitable, the Committee found a way to provide necessary revenues to keep schools open on weekends while not financially burdening the weekend user. A series of options was mailed out to gymnasium users in the spring of 1997 and the feedback was then brought back to the Joint Use School and Recreation Facilities Committee. The Committee developed a fair and equitable model for the distribution of fees that would also expand use of the schools. - When will it be implemented?
The implementation of the fee schedule is to take place for the 1998/99 booking cycle. Bookings begin May 1998. - Who will receive these monies?
The revenue generated is provided directly to the two school boards. The Boards approved the fee schedule on March 3 and 9, 1998 respectively. - How this fee might impact community programming?
The impact to Community League programming is anticipated to be positive. As an example, in past years the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues (EFCL) children’s community basketball has been paying up to $30 per hour for gym use on weekends. For the most part, the new fee schedule provides free access. Initial estimates indicate a substantial saving for the program in this area. Under this fee structure, a group such as EFCL basketball will benefit from an estimated savings of $10,000 - $15,000/year over the previous fee structure. In addition, this initiative expands the use of schools that may have previously not been available on weekends or at a rate that was too costly to absorb. In terms of weekday adult programs, they will be required to pay the $10 to $15 per hour. As an example, the impact to those individuals participating in a 10 week program with 15 to 20 participants could range between $5.00 and $7.50 for the program or .50 to .75 cents per week. - Could the community leagues be exempted from paying these fees?
Given the relatively minimal hourly rate and that gymnasiums for children’s programs are free for the majority of facilities, exemptions were not recommended.
- Please see Attachment 1 for additional information regarding the Joint Use Agreement and Gymnasium Use.
Background Information Attached
- Background Information on the Joint Use Agreement and Gymnasium Use.
Background Information Available on Request
- Joint Use Agreement – April 1996
Staff Hours to Prepare Report: Two
Staff Cost:$60.00
Peripheral Cost:
Total Cost of Inquiry Preparation: $60.00
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Attachment 1
Background Information on the Joint Use Agreement and Gymnasium Use
THE JOINT USE AGREEMENT AND COMMUNITY USE OF SCHOOLS
History
The Joint Use Agreement is a formal agreement between the City of Edmonton, Edmonton Public Schools and Edmonton Catholic Schools. The agreement was initially signed in 1959 and has been revised since that time including the most recent update, to cover the next ten years, completed in April 1996. The Joint Use Agreement makes schools available to community groups after school hours and it makes arenas, pools and other city facilities available to school children during school hours. The agreement also clarifies how the three partners will work together to design, build and maintain school and park sites.
Public Consultation
The critical work for revising the Joint Use Agreement started in the fall of 1994 in response to community requests for change and the need for an update. The members of the Joint Use Agreement Review Committee embarked on an extensive consultation process for revising the agreement. Community people using the schools during Joint Use time, Community Services Staff and school staff took part in meetings in December 1994. At these meetings they worked together to develop recommendations for revising the Joint Use Agreement.
The Joint Use Review Committee then took the suggestions and developed recommendations. The Review Committee sent the recommendations to the people who took part in the December meetings, as well as those who had sent in written suggestions, for final input and approval. The agreement was then revised into a legal document that was presented for consideration by Edmonton City Council, the Edmonton Public School Board and the Edmonton Catholic School Board. The amended agreement was formally signed in April 1996.
Key Issues Relative to Gymnasium Use
During the public consultation process for the revision of the Joint Use Agreement, several key issues were raised and recommendations developed to address the concerns, relative to gymnasium use. The Joint Use Steering Committee struck three working committees made up of volunteers and community stakeholders to address the various issues and to develop potential solutions. The School and Recreation Facilities Committee was formed and over the past couple of years have worked on various initiatives to improve service to the community. The following are issues the Committee has worked on that were identified in the public consultation process and included as attachments to the new Joint Use Agreement.
Increasing Access to Schools – Opportunities for groups to use schools during the evenings and weekends was to be expanded and access to be provided at as low a cost as possible.
Sharing Costs – Fees were to be established for adult use of school facilities and the desirability of establishing fees for children and youth to be explored.
Developing a Common Booking System – A common booking system was to be established for both Edmonton Public and Edmonton Catholic Schools and Edmonton Community Services.
Rationalizing Groups Using School Facilities – New and consistent priorities were to be developed to determine eligibility of groups using schools under the Joint Use Agreement.
Historically, under the Joint Use Agreement free access for gymnasium use was limited to weekdays and to those schools that had custodial staff scheduled to work when the booking was to take place. Weekend use was generally considered a paid booking, which allowed for schools to recover some costs of having staff available to open and close the school as well as monitor any potential problems that may occur.
Development of a Consistent Fee Schedule and Expanding Use
The fee schedule for gymnasium use outlines that for regular gymnasiums, children pay no fee and adults pay only $10/per hour. For AA gymnasiums (high schools) adults will pay $15/per hour and children $7.50/per hour. This fee schedule is applied over seven days a week to all eligible organizations and not just community leagues. It should also be noted that in the past groups wishing to access schools on the weekend were charged up to $30/per hour for gymnasium use.
Attachment 1 - Page 1 of 2