Fee changes are being proposed for outdoor swimming pools and film productions in New Westminster.
At its Feb. 28 meeting, city council gave three readings to proposed changes to the city’s parks and recreation fees and charges bylaw. Council had previously directed staff to bring forward fee changes for film productions and for weekend admissions at outdoor swimming pools.
In January, staff presented a council with a plan for extending the summer season at the Hume Park and Moody Park outdoor swimming pools. Staff proposed a $2 weekend admission fee at both pools, a time when admissions have been free in the past.
Because of the unexpected closure of Canada Games Pool, the city has attempted to mitigate the loss of aquatic services by extending the summer season at outdoor pools. This year, Moody Park Outdoor Pool will open April 23 and Hume Park Outdoor Pool will open June 30, with both pools remaining open until Oct. 10 and both facilities offering lane swimming, swimming lessons, leisure swims and Aquafit.
According to a Jan. 31 report to council, demand exceeds supply when the city offers free weekend swims.
“Patrons would go to the outdoor pools for free swims and encounter ‘full pools’ as occupancy limits were regularly achieved, even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the report. “The outcome was disappointed patrons who experienced lengthy line ups or left frustrated. This issue is mitigated on weekdays when the modest $2 admission fee is charged or when reserved drop-in sales are in place.”
On the filming front, the city is also considering increases to 10 existing fees and is introducing eight new filming fees. Staff noted the city hasn’t increased most of its filming fees for five years and the proposed rates would bring New West in line with fees charged in other municipalities in the region.
“The bottom-line vision for the filming portfolio is that it is a revenue stream for the city and that it is not subsidized by the taxpayer,” Jason Haight, the city’s manager of business operations, told council earlier this month. “So we want to make sure that we charge the film companies that are for-profit companies the right amount so that taxpayers are not subsidizing film activity in the city.”
