The parks and recreation department has updated its program and membership refund policy to outline additional processes and criteria it uses when determining whether to give rec users compensation.
The policy provides specific guidelines about the cancellations, refunds and transfer policies for recreation courses, programs and memberships, while the department reviews the document every three to four years to ensure it aligns with the municipality’s current practices and financial processes, a council report explained.
The department last reviewed and updated the policy in December 2019.
Some of the main policy changes include:
- Ensuring the document reflects new policy formatting
- Reflecting the department’s ability to cancel a program within five days of its start date to allow for advance notice
- Providing clear language to address annual memberships that have electronic funds payments cancelled without notice; a minimum of 10 business days is required for EFT payment cancellation with city approval, while NSF charges will be applied to non-authorized cancellations
- Addressing refunds for medical situations or other extenuating circumstances, which will assist Yara Centre with day camp registration refunds
- Denying refunds or transfers for drop-in admissions
- Denying refunds for merchandise that the department sells, such as manuals, swim diapers and locks
- Addressing participants or customers who have been removed from a building or program due to behaviour and/or safety concerns
- Allowing the use of rain checks obtained from the Phyllis Dewar Outdoor Pool for use at the Kinsmen Sportsplex pool
- Updating the language to replace emergency closure with venue closure to address issues such as pool chemistry
The parks and recreation department presented the policy changes during city council’s Feb. 12 regular meeting; council unanimously approved the updates.
Coun. Doug Blanc said people who have monthly memberships to the Yara Centre have approached him recently because there have been times when they cannot use the track due to events occurring there; some events shuttered that area for three to four days.
He wondered if there was a process that would return that unused time to members if the city closed the building to the public.
Derek Blais, director of parks and rec, replied that that would be difficult to do because when residents sign a membership, they also sign a waiver that immediately identifies that situation. Users should also know what dates the city closes venues since the latter provides that information; for example, the municipality shuts down certain buildings in June for large events.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, Feb. 26.
