Port Clements is alarmed about a school board proposal to start charging fees for people who want to use school facilities.
In past years, school gyms in all communities have been booked almost every night of the week for recreational activities like floor hockey, badminton and volleyball.
The school board doesn't charge anything at the moment to non-profit users, Port mayor Dale Lore said at Tuesday's council meeting (Sept. 2). But according to a draft proposal from the school board, circulating in the community, it is considering charging $40 an hour for commercial users and $20 an hour for non-commercial users.
"The vast majority (of users) are kids," Mr. Lore said, adding that the new fees would be a huge impediment to users. "We don't want them running around in the streets... Kids are not going to spend their money to play sports in the gymnasium."
Mr. Lore said it doesn't cost the school board anything to allow the public to use the facilities in the evening, because the buildings are heated anyway, and the users have to clean up after themselves.
Council voted to write a letter to the school board opposing the fee and asking for a public meeting on the issue.
The fee proposal is expected to be on the school board's agenda when it meets September 23 in Port Clements.