City council is set to vote on a new facility use agreement with the Junior B Bandits Hockey Association. With the former agreement having recently expired, a new one is set to face a vote with a lifespan of five years. The new agreement, once signed, gives an updated pricing structure, team locker room and sponsorship opportunities within the Centennial Civic Centre.
It includes a youth rate for games and practices on evenings and weekends, summer ice hockey rates for fall selection camps, conditioning camps and hockey school, student rates for gym memberships at the Servus Sports Centre and no interest charges before December 10. Mayor Aalbers stresses that the new deal will have to be presented to council for a decision due to how it varies from standard rates.
“Administration doesn’t have the ability to just grant that; it comes before council,” says Aalbers. “Because that’s a decision that affects all the taxpayers because there is a little less revenue coming in. At the same time, I think council and the community realize the value of having the Junior B Bandits in our city.”
The city’s administration says the negotiated rates for the 2019/2020 season don’t include GST, and will increase if rental fees go up.