Ice arena, field and swimming pool time is a scarce commodity for sports organizations in Coquitlam.
But the city will not increase its 60% residency requirement when prioritizing facility use.
Staff had considered raising the threshold to 70%, bringing the city in line with neighbouring municipalities like Burnaby and New Westminster. Given the interconnected geography of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody, however, many user groups said they would be hurt by the changes.
Instead, Coquitlam will stick to its 60% rule and add an 80% Tri-City residency requirement when prioritizing facility allocation.
“Despite the fact that many municipalities require a 70% residency or higher to ensure their citizens have priority to the facilities which they subsidize, the Tri-Cities area is unique in that the three communities, in terms of sports and recreation, are often considered ‘one,’” said a staff report.
The document stated that stricter Coquitlam requirements would hurt some female and adult leagues as well as less popular sports, like cricket and rugby.
But while the consensus among the city’s sports user groups was to maintain the current Coquitlam residency requirement and add the Tri-City threshold, some organizations felt that stricter rules should be applied.
“It seems unjust for the city of Coquitlam to support the facilities for non-Coquitlam residents within these groups without reciprocation,” wrote Slavica Roche, the president of the Coquitlam Minor Hockey Association, in a letter to council. “We strongly support the move to a 70% residency minimum.”
Most sports organizations will meet the new requirements, although some may need to attract more members from the immediate area in order to receive greater facility priority.
Coquitlam Minor Hockey Association membership, for example, has 99% Coquitlam residency, according to a staff report, while minor lacrosse had 96% Coquitlam residency and 98% Tri-City residency.
Meanwhile, groups like the Tri-City Female Ice Hockey Association did not meet the Coquitlam residency requirement (44%) but did meet the 80% Tri-City residency requirement (93%).
City staff said once the draft facility allocation policy is finalized, it will be implemented in stages, with procedure documents written up separately for ice arenas, pools and fields, among other facilities. The policy is expected to take effect in the fall.
@gmckennaTC
