Based on the responses of a public meeting and a survey distributed in Beaver Valley, the area’s recreation committee has opted to reimburse valley residents accessing facilities in Trail.
In a press release from the Beaver Valley Recreation Parks and Trails Service (BVPARTS), the committee said it will, “proceed with the provision of a reimbursement program for the residents of the Beaver Valley.”
The repayment program is an interim plan to cover additional fees residents pay out-of-pocket to recreate in Trail, and will be administered through an application process at the recreation office in Fruitvale.
The resident application form is available now and retroactive to Jan. 1.
The three-person recreation committee confirmed an official invitation to meet with the City of Trail was received on Jan. 30.
“We welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss potential agreement terms,” said BVPARTS in the news release. “And will be contacting the city to set a meeting to share our thoughts on recreation once our respective councils (and Area A advisory planning committee), have the opportunity to review the community consultation data and comments.”
Last month, the Beaver Valley rec committee mailed out 1913 surveys to residents and businesses in Fruitvale, Montrose and Area A, asking 16 questions to ascertain the demographic of recreational users, facility usage, and public opinion about the future of the area’s recreation.
Of those surveys, 273, or 14 per cent, were returned and compiled with responses from the Jan. 21 community consultation held in the Fruitvale Memorial Hall, and are available for viewing on the regional district’s website.
Asked if Beaver Valley recreation should enter into an agreement with Trail, 78 respondents were against the option, citing, “invest in Beaver Valley programs and facilities.”
Overall, 195 people responded in favour of an agreement with the City of Trail, however 130 of those expressed a need for more information regarding actual usage and the value of Trail facilities and programs to all valley citizens.
“Cost for usage must be clear and upfront,” cited one respondent, a stance echoed by others.
Another survey question was related to a reimbursement program, with only 90 respondents agreeing to a repayment program, and the rest saying, “no, do so at their own expense,” or, “yes, but only for programs and services not available through B.V. recreation.”
However, according to the next question, which asked how much money the respondent was willing to contribute for B.V. to recreate in Trail, 108 replied, “the same as 2013,” 78 chose to contribute nothing, 42 responded, “less than in 2013,” and 37 replied, “more than in 2013.”
The three-person recreation committee said an official invitation to meet with the City of Trail was received on Jan. 30.
“We welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss potential agreement terms,” said BVPARTS in the news release. “And will be contacting the city to set a meeting to share our thought on recreation once our respective councils and Area A planning committee, has the opportunity to review the community consultation data and comments.”