Bylaw No. 2182 — City Centre Park Fees & Charges Bylaw No. 1203, Amendment No. 3, Bylaw No. 2182, 2025 (Background report attached)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The City Centre Park Fees and Charges Bylaw was last reviewed and updated in 2016, and as such, proposed amendments are explored within this report. The proposed amendments update the schedules of the bylaw to reflect the current fees for Eagle Ridge Community Centre, PlayZone, Mini Golf, Westhills Arena, and community room rentals and to remove reference to the decommissioned Splash Park.

The proposed amendments also include updated rental fees for Starlight Stadium and Goudy Field, which have not been revised since the significant expansion in 2019. The changes also include the School District 62 North Langford Elementary and Centre Mountain Lellum Middle School fields, which the City manages the rentals of under joint use agreements.

Schedule A of the bylaw now details full-day and multi-day event rentals for Starlight Stadium sports fields.

For reference, staff have included a redline version of the current bylaw showing the proposed amendments.

BACKGROUND

On March 25, 2025, the amended City Centre Park Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1203 was presented to the Community Advisory Committee. Following review, the Committee recommended that Council consider giving first, second, and third reading to City Centre Park Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1203, Amendment #2 Bylaw No. 2182, 2025 as presented.

Since that time, staff have identified the need to update the recommended fees, including the addition of rentals for birthday parties, school specials, and summer camp bookings. The amended bylaw is now being brought forward to Council for first, second, and third readings.

CONTEXT

City Centre Park is a City-owned recreational facility that opened in 2009 and encompasses Eagle Ridge Community Centre, PlayZone, Mini Golf, Westhills Arena, Starlight Stadium (“the Stadium”) and Goudy Field. In Schedule A of the City Centre Park Fees Bylaw, Starlight Stadium and Goudy Field are referred to as “Artificial Field #1” and “Artificial Field #2” respectively.

In 2019, the stadium underwent a significant expansion, including the addition of three new grandstands, and VIP suites which increased the seating capacity from 1,600 to approximately 6,000. Currently, Starlight Stadium is home to major sports teams such as Rugby Canada, Pacific FC Soccer Club, West Shore Rebels Jr. Football Team, and hosts numerous large annual events including outdoor concerts and culinary events. The artificial turf fields are also rented by numerous community sports teams.

Since this bylaw has not been updated since 2016, it is suggested that the stadium fees be revised to align with increased operational and maintenance costs, and venue amenities. The bylaw also required updating to include the new turf fields at North Langford Elementary and Centre Mountain Lellum Middle School.

COMMENTARY

The primary intent of this bylaw amendment is to update the categories and pricing for public use of the stadium and turf fields, including through the addition of a schedule for event rentals.

The fees listed in the most recent amended bylaw from 2016 were scheduled to increase automatically each year based on the annual tax increase percentage. Fees for all facilities have been adjusted in Schedule A of the bylaw to reflect current pricing. Moving forward, staff recommend that the fees be adjusted by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Greater Victoria, up to a maximum of 3% per year.

Along with managing rentals for Starlight Stadium and Goudy Field, the City coordinates community bookings of the North Langford Elementary and Centre Mountain Lellum turf fields in accordance with joint-use agreements established with SD62. The rental fees for the SD62 fields are set at the same rate as those for Goudy Field. To provide consistency across turf rentals in the West Shore, it is recommended that the field rental categories and rates more closely align with those offered by West Shore Parks and Recreation (WSPR) for the Juan de Fuca grass fields and the SD62 Royal Bay School artificial turf fields.

Staff are proposing higher field rental fees for use of the Starlight Stadium (Artificial Field # 1) to better reflect the higher operational and maintenance costs associated with the facility. Commercial youth groups will pay higher field fees, while non-profit youth teams will have lower hourly rates.

Fee Comparison (WSPR vs. Current City vs. Proposed)

The table below shows the proposed fee changes in comparison with those charged by West Shore Parks and Recreation for the JDF and Royal Bay artificial turf fields:

WSPR rates include JDF Artificial Turf, SD62 Royal Bay & lights.

“Non-profit” rates apply to non-profit organizations, community groups, minor sports organizations, etc., while “Commercial” rates apply to for-profit organizations, i.e. private coaching or leagues intended to generate revenue.

New fees for events, with a variety of event rental combinations, are being proposed to accommodate the variety of events that use the Stadium. Fees will be determined by whether the event is a “Commercial Use Event”, which is a publicly accessible event, organized by a commercial group, or if the event is a “Community Use Event”, which is a publicly accessible event, organized by a not-for-profit organization.

Set-up days will be charged at 25% of the daily rate (per day) and a damage deposit will be collected that reflects 50% of the daily rental fee. These fees have been set with the intention of recovering the costs for the event, including such items as custodial fees, field preparation, and staff time.

While these fees are new to the bylaw, they are consistent with the rates charged under contracts for events since 2021.

Starlight Stadium – Event Rentals

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Booking revenues generated as a result of this bylaw are collected by the operator of City Centre Park as hired by the City, with the exception of the full stadium rental fees which are collected directly by the City. The City’s revenue collection is as per the agreements with the operator. The fees are used to offset the operating and maintenance costs associated with City Centre Park. The Consumer Price Index for Greater Victoria fee increase model will be used to account for annual inflation. It is intended that these fee charges will offset the costs of operating the facilities, while keeping the facilities financially accessible to youth and not for profit groups.

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

Pursuant to the Community Charter, Council may, by bylaw, impose a fee payable in respect of the use of municipal property, including the use of the stadium and fields at City Centre Park.

STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

• 5 – Good Governance
• 6d – Support the Efforts of Community Organizations to Expand Services to Youth, Seniors, and Other Underrepresented and Marginalized Groups

OPTIONS

Option 1
THAT Council give first, second, and third reading to City Centre Park Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1203, Amendment #2 Bylaw No. 2182, 2025 as presented.

OR Option 2
THAT Council give first, second, and third reading to City Centre Park Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1203, Amendment #2 Bylaw No. 2182, 2025 with the following amendments:
a) _______________;
b) _______________;
c) ___________.

OR Option 3
THAT Council take no action with respect to City Centre Park Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1203, Amendment #2 Bylaw No. 2182, 2025 at this time.

SUBMITTED BY

Megan Treleaven, Parks Planning and Research Coordinator

Concurrence:
Yari Nielsen, Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities
Melisa Miles, Manager of Legislative Services
Donna Petrie, Senior Manager of Communications & Economic Development
Leah Stohmann, RPP, MCIP, Director of Community Planning and Development
Katelyn Balzer, P.Eng., Director of Engineering and Public Works
Michael Dillabaugh, CPA, CA, Director of Finance
Marie Watmough, Director of Legislative & Protective Services
Braden Hutchins, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
Darren Kiedyk, Chief Administrative Officer

Attachment 1: Redline copy of Schedule A of the City Centre Park Fees Bylaw
Attachment 2: Bylaw 2182

BYLAW NO. 2182

A BYLAW TO AMEND THE CITY CENTRE PARK FEES & CHARGES BYLAW NO. 1203, 2008

The Council of the City of Langford, in an open meeting assembled, hereby enacts as follows:

A. City Centre Park Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1203, 2008 is amended as follows:

1. By deleting Schedule A in it’s entirety and replacing it with a new Schedule A as attached hereto and forming part of this Bylaw.

B. By replacing section 4.0 of Bylaw No. 1203, 2008 to read as follows:
“That the fees in Schedule “A” automatically be adjusted effective May 1 of each year by the annual percentage change in the All-Items Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Greater Victoria for the then most recently ended calendar year as published by Statistics Canada or successor in function, to a maximum of 3% per year”.

C. This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as “City Centre Park Fees & Charges Bylaw No. 1203, Amendment No. 3, Bylaw No. 2182, 2025”.

READ A FIRST TIME this ____ day of ____, 2025.
READ A SECOND TIME this ____ day of ____, 2025.
READ A THIRD TIME this ____ day of ____, 2025.
ADOPTED this ____ day of ____, 2025.

PRESIDING COUNCIL MEMBER

CORPORATE OFFICER

SCHEDULE “A” — City Centre Park Fees & Charges

Stadium and Fields – Hourly Bookings

“Non-profit” rates apply to non-profit organizations, community groups, minor sports organizations, etc.
“Commercial” rates apply to for-profit organizations, i.e. private coaching or leagues intended to make revenue.

Stadium – Event Rentals

“Community Use Event” is a publicly accessible activity (festival, celebration or special event) that is organized by a not-for-profit organization.
“Commercial Use Event” is a publicly accessible event (festival, celebration or special event) that is organized by a commercial group.

Stadium — Hourly / Field-Related Fees (as presented)

Professionals, Adults and Admission Games / Westshore Youth and Paying Leagues’ Practices / Langford Youth Only

Adult / Youth (non-profit) / Youth (commercial)

Family Fun Park

PlayZone Drop-in (per person)

Splash Park or Outdoor Ice Rink

Public Skate – Outdoor Ice Rink (per person)

Mini-Golf

Green Fees — Individual Rates

Group Rates

10 – 20 people

20+ people

Dry Floor Arena

Public drop-in roller / public skate rates are also listed in the Schedule (see below).

Ice Arena

Public Admission (per person)

Birthday Parties

Add–On Prices

School Specials – When School in Session (per person, available to daycares)

Summer Camp (per person, Spring/Summer 2026)

Private Room Rentals

All fees exclude applicable taxes.

(End of pages 138–152)