WHEREAS steady population increases within the boundaries of the City Salmon Arm as well as the surrounding Columbia Shuswap Regional District Electoral Areas have led to higher demand for programming and usage of key City recreation facilities;
AND WHEREAS due to increased demand, operations and maintenance costs have grown significantly;
AND WHEREAS a recently concluded year-long survey indicates significant usage of City recreation facilities by residents of surrounding Electoral Areas;
AND WHEREAS City taxpayers currently subsidize all recreation facilities by approximately 50% of actual operating and maintenance costs for all users regardless of whether those users pay fees to use the facilities;
AND WHEREAS it is acknowledged that the fees currently charged for the use of City facilities by users from surrounding Electoral Areas is not an adequate contribution to actual operating and maintenance costs:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council direct staff to prepare a report that:
o More fully identifies what those key recreation facility cost recovery discrepancies are;
o Reviews models of recreation facility funding that other local governments have put in place to address similar recreation facility funding concerns;
o Recommends options to consider for more equitable usage contributions from non-taxpayers either through updated funding agreements with surrounding Electoral Areas or through residency-based usage pricing or a combination of both;
o Projects revenue and cost implications of implementing potential new systems of usage pricing;
o Reviews possible agreement language and apportionment approaches with Electoral Areas that are currently not fully paying for these recreation usages; and
o Suggests timing for possible implementations.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT staff present the report to Council at the October 14, 2025 Regular Council Meeting.