Collingwood Tennis Club serves town request to lower rates

Collingwood Tennis Club serves town request to lower rates - Collingwood News (collingwoodtoday.ca)

If there's to be any back-and-forth between town council and the tennis club, it will be at the committee meeting on Feb. 21

Jessica Owen
Feb 20, 2024 6:00 PM

The Collingwood Tennis Club claims the town has set the net too high for 2024 rental rates.

During council’s Feb. 21 committee of the whole meeting, councillors will consider a letter included on the consent agenda from representatives from the Collingwood Tennis Club, calling on the town to change the fee structure for rental of Collingwood’s courts. Based on the club’s estimates, they’re anticipating having to pay the town $11,644.65 this year, which is becoming beyond what the club can afford.

“The Collingwood Tennis Club is faced with a significant financial challenge due to the unfair current permit fee structure,” reads the letter, which is unsigned.

“We believe that aligning Collingwood's fee structure with neighbouring towns would not only benefit the tennis club but also contribute to the continued growth and engagement of our community,” the letter continues.

Under the Town of Collingwood’s current fee structure and explained in the letter, users of the town’s courts are charged $20 per hour. The Collingwood Tennis Club also charges members a $60 membership fee.

There are comparisons in the letter to other clubs, specifically the Lamont Tennis Club in Wasaga Beach not charging fees, and Blue Mountain charging $10 per adult member.

“Usually only private clubs or winter tennis for-profit organizations charge a court fee, or if the public wanted to rent courts for a one-time event, they would be charged a court fee,” reads the letter.

The letter also outlines current club concerns. With the population of Collingwood growing, the club said they have seen their membership grow from 90 to 275 members over the past three years.

“(The) Collingwood Tennis Club is an existing club that would like to expand its current programming and lessons to the community, however, under the current permit pricing model, the more programming and lessons that the club offers, the more costs to the tennis club,” reads the letter. “This is the complete opposite to other clubs who pay nothing, or a small fee for the entire summer, which encourages the club to expand programming and lessons to the community with no additional costs.”

There are tennis courts in three locations across Collingwood: Kinsmen Park, Mair Mills Park and Princeton Shores Park. All are maintained by the Town of Collingwood.

Councillors will be considering a motion at their council and committee of the whole meeting on Feb. 21 starting at 2 p.m. to refer the letter back to staff to gather more information.

Any members of the public may attend in person in council chambers at Collingwood town hall, or virtually by Zoom webinar. The meeting will also be livestreamed on the town’s YouTube channel here.