The District of Squamish is considering axing its fee for events that use local trails, a regulation that is costing the municipality more than it's making, says a district official.
In February 2010, the district implemented a $5 charge per participant in events that use district-owned property including trails, roads, road allowances or rights-of-way. The intention was to generate funding to cover the cost of trail maintenance, the district's economic sustainability coordinator Dan McRae told council at its Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday (Feb. 14). It's a challenging situation, he noted, as 88 per cent of the trail network isn't on district land.
Last year, approximately 40 events were held in the community. They ran the gamut, from mountain bike races to the Relay for Life. District staff have tried their best to discern which events were intended to be covered under the regulation, McRae said.
"As a result, the bylaw is being applied somewhat inconsistently," he said.
Significant administrative costs come with the decision to levy the fee, McRae continued. District officials have to meet with organizers, discuss the bylaw and send out collection notices to the organizers of events who haven't paid. In 2010, the district collected $5,306 from the event fee. This figure jumped to $7,200 last year, with $1,800 left unpaid at this stage, McRae noted.
"We can't find another municipality in the province that does [charge a trail use fee]," he said.
The trail network needs a funding support system to maintain its world-class status, McRae said, outlining options such as an annual grant.
Coun. Ron Sander wasn't in favour of scrapping the bylaw. Ice rink, pool and field users all pay user fees, he said, noting he had a fundamental problem with exempting trail users from this responsibility.
"I believe the trail users should be treated the same," he said.
The charge was created out of frustration, Coun. Bryan Raiser said. Unlike the ice rink and pool, into which the district puts millions of dollars, mountain bike trails have received nothing, he said.
The trail network draws money to town, Raiser added. A 2006 district study on the economic impact from mountain biking reported the sport generated $1.7 million per summer in direct and indirect cash to Squamish, supporting approximately $424,000 in wages and salaries. The famous Test of Metal bike race is estimated to draw $567,000 to town.
"I am OK with taking this off the table but, like I said previously, we have to put our money where our mouth is," Raiser said. "We are making millions of dollars off the mountain [biking] infrastructure."
In an attempt to maintain the trails, Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association (SORCA) launched its own voluntary trail pass program last year, raising $14,000. Even if the district chops its user fee, SORCA vice-president Cliff Miller said he will charge the $5 per head on Test of Metal race series this year. Something needs to be done to maintain the 200-trail network, he said.
Miller said he hopes the district will replace the fee with something that will put money back into the recreational infrastructure. However, he's wary of seeing the money come from taxpayers, rather than the people who use the network.
"That doesn't make any sense," he said.
Ideally, $150,000 to $200,000 annually would pay for a crew to maintain the trails and upgrade infrastructure, Miller said. That would also buy the routes maps and information kiosks.
The motion to delete the fee is scheduled to be before council next Tuesday (Feb. 21).
