Last month, Council approved a new ice rental allocation policy to tighten up and clarify the process and conditions surrounding ice rental contracts. User groups will no longer be able to cancel booked ice rentals by providing 30 days written notice. This practice has pushed the responsibility of finding replacement users later in the season to township staff, and has reduce ice rental revenues in the past when staff have been unable to secure alternative users for the ice. Research into other municipal policies found that other facility owners do not allow for ice rental contract cancellations, and hold ice rental contract users responsible for all rental fees associated with their signed contract if no alternative renter is found.
The new policy has been developed to manage the Township of Cavan Monaghan ice venue and facilities to ensure fair and equitable distribution of ice times among all interested user groups and address shifting demographics and changing utilization patterns, as well as provide an appropriate framework for the municipality.
The priority sequence for ice rentals in the township is begins with township programs and service; Minor associations, organization and groups; adult associations, organizations and groups; local schools and boards of education; and occasional and commercial users receiving the lowest priority. Other factors are also considered in the ice allocation process; for example, the historical scheduling of an existing user group will be considered and local applicants will receive preference over non-local ones.
Renters of the Township ice assume full responsibility and liability for their rentals once a signed contract is submitted to the Parks and Facilities Department. Renters wishing to cancel any booked time in their contract must contact the township and provide written notice of the rental date(s) and times they wish to terminate. The Parks and Facilities Department will assist the original renter in trying to find a new renter to assume the date(s) and times, but if a new renter is not found then the original ice renter remains responsible and liable for the full ice rental fee. The township must approve any transfers, trades or sub-leases of their facilities.
In addition to written applications, the ice allocation process includes an allocation meeting open to all user groups during the final week of June hosted by the Parks and Facilities Manager where users can review their contracts and discuss issues and/or opportunities for additional or returned ice rental times and dates before submitting their signed contract in July. While it can be difficult to forecast the demand for ice in the summer, as the township invests in expensive facilities it is obliged to ensure they are managed responsibly which includes making sure they are available to the most appropriate users while optimizing its rental revenues within that framework. KG
