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The Acton Free Press Wed October 1976 5 Take another look at ice rental policy Continued from Page One Comments Commented councillor Duby Staff have come up with ways of trying to make arenas self supporting but there Is always room for re viewing any situation where things are as critical as this Councillor Hyde said there were points in the brief which should be considered and felt it should go back to com mittee Mr Elliott said rep resentatives had already met with the administration committee Councillor Pat added that the representative felt they did not get the con side ration they should at committee so they came here tonight Councillor Boy Booth said I see a lot of things in here that weren t brought up pre viously There are a lot of I d like to ask and finance committee should have some Input He suggested the matter be referred back to both the finance and administration committees One of best Councillor Hie Morrow termed the presentation one of the best he heard He also would like to have rep resentatives of the groups signing the brief come the committee for an open cussion I follow arena rates very closely said councillor Harry Levy and 1 agree this is on excellent report Some of these items are new to me and I thought I had gone into every facet of arena rales I agree it should go back to the finance and administration committees 1 m encouraged by these comments said Councillor Referring back to administration committee meeting he said he hoped the problem would receive more serious consideration than staff and councillors rowing money on the table Councillor Joe Hurst added his congratulations to the people who drew up the brief If everybody wants to consider it at committees Ill be delighted said Councillor Councillor Hyde made one small point all arenas serve ward Two not just Acton arena That a good comment replied Mr Elliott who ex plained their intention was simply to point out that Ward Two residents also use Acton arena extensively Anxious The groups are anxious to he said One thing not pointed out in the earlier discussion is the fact that not only were the rates increased but by revising the hours to make prime time charges as early as 9 or 10 in the morning tually all ice time is now charged prime lime rates Councillor asked if it is possible the Intermediate Club would be able to con this season Bill Campbell replied that the Swords have been forced lo withdraw Councillor George said he too would like to take the mailer back for review There certainly a big difference between what the Swords paid last year and these rates He wondered if this could have forced them out of business Brier The brief included several pages of tables which illus trated the points made The brief reads The purpose of this brief is to assist Council members in discussions concerning ice rates for Ward 1 and Ward residents The intentions of the undersigned associations is to bring to Council all relevant Information that may not have been available during previous discussions It Is hoped that Council will review this Information and consider the implications of current policy as It effects the lives of the hundreds of families In our community who hope to use the Acton Community Centre this winter It is our understanding that the main goals that Council is trying to achieve with the new ice rate schedule self supporting by persons using the service directly g significant reduction of current operating deficits and close parity with Memorial and Gordon arena ice rates In this brief the un dersigned associations would like to present our views that generally endorse the prin ciple of the above ideal goals and yet request minor diver gencc from this policy to fairly compensate tor the unique factors related to the Acton and Ward II operation Community Centre We feel the following economic and social factors could be ample justification for this policy to be reviewed and our recom considered a The proposed rales and resulting increases over the season see Table are excessive over a 1 year period from per cent in this year lor any year when families wages have been limited to per cent increase All associations have been budgeting annually in accordance with the mutually negotiated increased rates established by Council in which provides Tor Minor Sports rates at IS hour and Adult local at hour with wider non prime time privileges NOTE Over three years this increase is in excess of per cent and we have fulfilled our responsibilities to meet this plan Although we were notified of this policy amend In May when minor associations were forced reluctantly accept the In creases and now again for the Local Adult Associations in October 1976 the time to alter our 3 year budgeting plan to find new sources of revenue places hardship on our associations and Ward 1 and Ward resl dents We also feel very strongly that after struggling for three years to comply with Council policy that our associations or any corpora Council Included should reasonably be expected to produce from per cent new operating revenue on such relatively short notice Associations will present financial statements lo Council upon request to indicate our non profit balance land sometimes not balanced budgets The third factor we would ask that you consider is lo compare the Acton Com Centre total operating costs to the Gordon Alcott arena total operating costs See table 11 that indicates the extensive financial contributions made to the Construction of Gordon Alcott Arena by all taxpayers in Hills It would appear that similar shared funding by Ward I and Ward 11 resi dents will apply to Memorial Arena as well To a significantly lesser extent from all taxpayers contributed to the renovations of the Acton Community Cenlre The A C C construction was fin a need by private donations Sec table HI that indi the actual Ing costs of the two arenas The undersigned lions feel that it can be con eluded from these tobies that the parity policy with Georgetown vs Acton arenas and the financially self supporting principle cannot reasonably be and in fact Is not being applied to all arenas in Hills because all taxpayers In Hal ton Hills are and have been subsidizing the total costs much more than is the case with the Acton Com Centre Our tions endorse Council s financing policy for Alcott however is suggesting that the financial self supporting and parity policy Is obviously not valid when compared to total costs of buildings that must Include capital costs We therefore feel that this invalid principle should not be applied to the building A C C that appears to have by far the lowest and daily reasonable operating deficit for I97G To summarize ice rote increases in Acton to reduce the operating deficit is reasonable to a point When a much higher percentage of costs are reduced by lax payers on other facilities however some allowances must be made to balance these apples and oranges In comparison the ice rates that we endorse projected seem to offer a fair balance for Ward 1 and Ward 11 users to carry NOTE We are sure that analysis of other public services In Hills would indicate similar financial inequities some in favor of Wards 111 and IV and others favoring Wards land 11 This balancing goal is considered to be a major benefit of rcgiona fixation and we should not reasonably deviate from this policy in one area of service and not another d The fourth point we would present for your consideration Is that our associations In Ward 1 and Ward have access to only approximately onethird the potential sponsors and one- third the paying spectators that arc available to the associations of Ward lit and Ward IV and other larger municipalities where ice costs are even higher We must therefore recover most of the 44 204 per cent increase through registration there by making hockey and figure skating etc extremely dif ficult for the average family income in Wards and AH volunteer members of our associations are desperately trying to operate winter recreation activities that will become exclusive to just the higher income or single child families as is becoming the trend in larger towns cities The fifth and final point lo consider is that with the increased cost for children to up to twice last years rites we hivc already experienced a decrease registration particularly of our teenage participants that can be directly related to the high rates we have proposed while trying to comply with Council new ice rates we have to cut back on programs we know as Council Is aware that from a business point of view the Ice could bo rented lo out of town groups and the revenue re covered However the social Impact to Wards 1 and 11 of discouraging teenagers and other children regardless of how few to participate rgan zed winter recreation would be hard to evaluate We ire all aware of the cant contributions thai organized winter programs through the Com Centre have made to all family members over the past years The decline of Lot at Adult profit programs such as the Swords Sabres and industrial hockey etc would also mi sly detract from our sense of community involvement and socialization for all ages from minors to Senior Citi as spectators etc TABLE 1 Season 1975 1976 Non Prime Prime Totals Total Association His Season 1977 Projected Total Total Range Total Total Total Total Incr Dollars Hrs Legion Hockey 216 Fig Skating 144 Min Hoc Sc Hockey Sabres Hoc Hoc 336 3 2 336 3 864 024 48 5 188 96 2 70 2 768 100 44 low Totals 336 2424 960 14 16 28 1198 Projected using same total hours as 1975 76 with new rates based 24 week season 30hr Adult Minor Prime Local Adult TABLE Gordon Total Construction Costs 776 Project Financing 791 Surplus Contribution 81 Contribution 69 31 120 Recreation Res AC 1974 Contribution 165 Lot Levies AC Contribution 1975 Contribution 17 78 Contribution 2315100 1976 Revenue tund Recreation Reserves Contribution 119 378 19 793 from Province Co mm Grant Winter Works 367 Decrease in Grant 6 380 Interest 1 52 126 Other Donations 1 Total Costs 4018 Revenue Fund 18 NOTE The above project financing table Illustrates the extensive financial contributions made to Gordon construction by all Wards in Hills including Acton and Ward II residents TABLE III Comparison of Gordon operating costs Acton Co mm Centre As presented by Gray excluding capital costs Feb 1976 Projected Arena Acton Arena Georgetown Memorial Gordon 1976 39 515 26 00 17 256 36 163 00 38 632 However with Capital Costs Included 1976 Projected Costs 1976 Pro Revenue Actual Total Acton Gordon Alcott 25414100 153 Memorial Not Included due to reconstruction program Ref alt figures to budget approved by council June 1976 Date of Sale Oct20 2376 140 Mill Street Acton Ont am QUALITY FOOD SALE Pocket the SaAwgg J FAMLY PACK PORK CHOPS pome RIB ENDroast or PORK LOINENDnosT Centre Cut Pork Chops Boneless Pork Loin Rousts Rib End Pork Chops Pork Side Ribs