Saugeen Shores Council is moving ahead with plans for a new policy for renting out municipal facilities to individuals and community groups.
It allows for the Community Services Department to decide if rental fees for halls and recreational facilities should be waived if they are going to be used for a project that will benefit the community.
However, Councillor Luke Charbonneau isn’t pleased with the entire policy — especially the part that will require people to pay to rent to use parks for events.
He says the town has always let people get married and have large picnics in the parks, and he doesn’t think it’s necessary to ask them again to pay for something that’s already covered by their property taxes.
The towns fee by-law still has to be changed in order to impose the rental rates, so the amount stays at zero until the 2010 budget discussions.
Charbonneau says he will raise the issue again at that time.
He acknowledges the upcoming budget process could be difficult and tough choices will have to be made, but he doesn’t think it means people should have to pay for things they didn’t pay for in the past.
Charbonneau agrees with plans to charge a damage deposit for park users, saying if someone destroys park property, the municipality should be able to recover some of the cost.
However, he says people who want to reserve a park and respect the facilities should be able to do it for free.
Users will also have to reserve ahead for events in parks, in order to avoid double booking.
The parks where rental fees could be charged are Pioneer Park, Northshore Park pavilion and picnic shelter, the band shells at Fairy Lake and Port Elgin Beach, and the pavilion and picnic shelter at Long Dock.