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ShareHouston reconsiders rental rate hikes
Published: October 01, 2008 5:00 AMHouston council may be backpedalling on proposed rate hikes at District facilities.
Following an in-camera (closed to the public and media) meeting, council took issue with certain rate increases and asked for administration to come back over the next few weeks with some alternatives.
“Nothing is set yet and we didn’t want to take any action until we had all of council present,” Bill Arkinstall said.
Arkinstall is acting mayor while Sharon Smith is on the campaign trail.
Under the proposed new plan facility rentals throughout the District would be increased between two to eight per cent.
The new rates would allow for an increased budget for the maintenance of the Houston Community Hall and the development of a reserve fund to pay for the Houston Leisure Facility pool.
The rate increases for ice time rentals were of particular concern for Arkinstall.
“I would like to see breaks for people who volunteer their time,” Arkinstall said during a committee-of-the-whole meeting.
“It seems a shame to then ask them to pay more for ice time.”
No decision will be made for at least the next three weeks, while council goes over figures proposed by Michele Taylor, director of leisure services and Ron Bowles, director of finance.
“There were several rates tabled, but they will not be approved without a second look,” Arkinstall said.
Rate increases range between
two to eight per cent
