The Nov. 2 receipt of the draft final core services review report from KPMG has set into motion a flurry of discussions over what suggested opportunities will be explored in Prince George.
The wrap up of the consultants' involvement in the review process comes just in time to tie in to decisions council has to make regarding user fees in the coming year.
On Monday afternoon, council's standing finance and audit committee met, receiving a final report from staff proposing changes to a variety of charges for city services.
Among the approved recommendations that the committee will pass on include a nominal increase of $5 to the current non-sufficient fund charge, adoption of a $65 fee for final or special meter reads, application of a $100 charge for tampering with water meters and adoption of an increase to $30 in the garbage container exchange fee, regardless of whether the change is an increase or decrease in size.
The committee of the whole - which consists of the mayor and all of council - meets Nov. 14 to discuss these recommendations as well as 15 of the suggested opportunities from the core review passed on by the select committee last Friday.
User fees must be set by council before the end of 2012 for 2013, including the user fees for recreational services, which KPMG has suggested the city review.
In the cases of aquatics (Four Seasons Pool and the Aquatic Centre), indoor ice rinks and sports fields and parks, an increase in the fees would reduce the reliance on the city's property tax levy to cover the shortfalls in the operating costs.
Based on 2012 pricing, Prince George offers the lowest rental rate per hour for indoor ice time among the core review's selected comparable jurisdictions (North Vancouver, Kamloops, Kelowna, Chilliwack and Nanaimo) and the cost for admission to the city's pools are mostly slightly above average.
Sports fields and parks were harder to compare since the city has a different rate structure and offers use of fields to not-for-profit youth users at no charge.
"To minimize the impact on user demand, any increase in user fees/rates could be introduced incrementally over time," said the KPMG report, also suggesting that arrangements could be worked out with schools, sports teams and special user groups.
The city could also offset the effect any increases would have with inclusion programs for those from lower income households, the report said, estimating a potential maximum revenue increase of more than $1.5 million per year.
Councillors in attendance at last Friday's select committee meeting expressed concern over the comparisons and were questioning whether or not the consultants had taken into consideration the fact Prince George was a winter city.
"We wouldn't think it would have a major impact," said KPMG core service review leader Brian Bourns.
"I'm a little skeptical," said Coun. Dave Wilbur, while Coun. Brian Skakun suggested working out an agreement with the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George as opposed to raising fees.
"The fees the regional district pays at our pool and fees we pay are the same - the difference is, we pay debt servicing costs and they don't," said Skakun. "So we subsidize people from outside of town to use our civic facilities."
