Saugeen Shores Council has approved the proposed fees and charges for the new Aquatic and Wellness Centre, which is set to open later this year.
Council received a presentation from Recreation Manager Lisa Billing this week, who outlined the various fees and membership possibilities for residents. The main focus was the Active Pass Program, which Billing said is designed to be affordable, flexible and encourage families to sign up and participate together.
While council members had some suggestions where tweaks could be made, Mayor Luke Charbonneau said they could revisit that down the line, trusting the plan laid out by staff.
"The best thing to do, I think, you guys have done a lot of work on this, thought of all the angles...to my mind I'd like to see us try this as it is," he said. "You've put it together, let's see if it works. Let's let it play out for a year and see what happens and if the revenue streams are good and this is what we need to do to hit those targets, let's give it a try and I'm absolutely hopeful it will be successful."
The proposed structure would mean a $675 annual fee for adults to access every part of the facility, while students would cost just $270 and children $180. There would also be discounts for each member of a family that signed up, along with shorter commitments available, from monthly options to 10 pass packages.
CAO Kara Van Myall said council will have more chances for input on the fee structure down the line.
This is the plan that aligns with what we gave you as an overall operational strategy for the facility which would have us be in a revenue positive situation by 2031," she said. "We have to see how it works... and so we'll be coming to you quarterly with updates on how this is working."
She noted an important date would be the second quarter of 2027, when there would be a comprehensive staff report on the AWC operations coming to council, following a full year in operation.
A full breakdown of the costs will be posted to the Town's website, but for now residents can get an idea from looking at the report to council.