Body: Recreation and Leisure Advisory Committee Type: Agenda Meeting: Committee Date: 2024 Collection: Council Agendas Municipality: South Frontenac
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Document Text
Township of South Frontenac Staff Report – 2024-013
Exhibit A – Program Fee and Registration Options Considered Options No change: The program registration could continue as-is without any changes to the process.
Resident only camp: The program could change to a resident-only camp.
Pros
Easiest route with respect to staff resources (change takes time to develop and staff are already at capacity).
The community is trained in the current system, so no change would not disrupt the expectations.
It would give South Frontenac residents the most opportunity to participate. Reflective of the significant subsidy from the tax base. Community building by creating a sense of belonging and membership among residents.
Cons
- Potential for reoccurring high waitlists.
- The tax base would continue to supplement non-residents.
- Inequitable access Some kids are getting in for lots of weeks of camps, some kids are not getting any.
- Community/ participant frustration is high with the current system, as reflected in feedback from parents and the Rec Committee.
- Potential revenue loss – The program might not fill up since the nonresident registration rates are so high, excluding that segment could potentially mean that there are spots at camp that are not filled.
- Administrative burden – How would we ensure people are not registering using resident credentials.
- Perception of exclusivity – Could reflect poorly on the municipality.
- Reduced diversity – Kids meet kids that don’t go to their schools at camp. Taking away nonresidents might decrease this opportunity.
Township of South Frontenac Staff Report – 2024-013
Options Differential pricing: The registration rates could be separated into resident and nonresident rates.
Priority Registration Dates – scenario one: The registration dates could be different for residents and nonresidents, giving South Frontenac residents a few days prior to nonresidents to register. Priority Registration Dates – scenario two: The registration dates could be different for residents and non-
Pros Cons
- Responsive to the tax
- People may register their base subsidy issue. kids using a South More fair to the Frontenac address of a taxpayers. friend/ family member.
- Somewhat common
- Perceived inequity from practice for non-residents that might municipalities. reflect negatively on the
- Registration software is municipality. able to do this based on
- Potential revenue loss – registrant address. If non-residents are so
- Potential increase to deterred that we cannot revenue. fill the camps.
- Allocation: Would help
- Community division – Creating a sense of to manage the demand by prioritizing residents ‘others’ by differentiating residents and nonand deterring nonresidents is generally residents. against the principals of community recreation and positive community development.
- Common practice for
- People may register their municipalities. kids using an SF
- Prioritization for address of a family/ residents – Ensuring friend. local residents, who
- Administratively there contribute to the might be a bit more work funding of the to set up on the programs, gets first registration platform. access to the program.
- Public communications –
- Enhanced community Might be more difficult to participation – A ‘perk’ communicate the of being a South changes. Frontenac resident, fostering a stronger sense of community.
- Comments from
- Comments from scenario one, plus scenario one, plus potential increased potential for inequity revenue if residents are based on the family’s willing to pay a higher income and the ability to rate for early access to pay more. registration.
Township of South Frontenac Staff Report – 2024-013
Options Pros residents, giving South Frontenac residents a few days prior to nonresidents to register, but at a higher rate until ‘general registration’ opens. Early bird
- Increased revenue potential. registration: Access to registration ‘early’ for all, but at a higher rate. Cap on weeks of
- Ensures more families have the opportunity to registration: participate in the highImplement a cap demand programs. on how many
- Resource management weeks of camp – Helps to manage the each participant supply and demand. can register for throughout the summer.
Cons
It would still most likely fill up, but with families that are willing/ able to pay more for their camp space, creating inequity.
Admin complexity – May be difficult to implement on registration software. Communications – May be difficult to explain the changes to the community. Community frustration – Given this is a critical service for families who rely on the program for childcare, there may be frustration with the cap. Determining the cap will most likely be an arbitrary decision. Communications – May be difficult to explain the changes to the community. Community frustration – Given this is a critical service for families who rely on the program for childcare, there may be frustration with the cap. Determining the ratio will most likely be an arbitrary decision.
Resident and non-resident specific spaces: We could set the number of resident and non-resident spaces available to ensure there are more spaces for residents.
It would give South Frontenac residents guaranteed opportunities for participation. Resource management – Helps to manage the supply and demand. Prioritization for residents – Ensuring local residents, who contribute to the funding of the
Township of South Frontenac Staff Report – 2024-013
Options Monetary penalties for program withdrawals: Establish a penalty for registration cancellation, which will deter families for signing up for all weeks of camp and picking and choosing which ones to attend after confirmation. Lottery Registration: Have families apply for the lottery selection, allocate camp spaces randomly.
Pros
programs, gets access to the program. Common practice for municipalities. Will deter families from using this strategy, which has had a significant impact on staff resources. Will ensure families are mindful about what weeks they register for, which will prevent spots being held for kids who may cancel last minute/ too late to fill the spot. Resource management – Helps to manage the supply and demand. Ensures more families have the opportunity to participate in the highdemand programs. Selection is based on randomization, opposed to families frantically trying to get a spot on the morning of registration.
Cons
Communications – May be difficult to explain the changes to the community. Families are trained to register for multiple weeks and cancel last minute without consequence, so they may expect to be able to continue to do so resulting in parent frustration. Admin complexity – May be difficult to implement on registration software. Communications – May be difficult to explain the changes to the community. Community frustration – Given this is a critical service for families who rely on the program for childcare, there may be frustration with the random selection.
