Robert Barron Citizen
The Cowichan Valley Soccer Association’s youth programs will be exempted from paying user fees for five years at the new David Williams Field, the Municipality of North Cowichan decided Wednesday.
Fees to use the synthetic turf field, located in Sherman Park Road, will be implemented for everyone else as of March 15. The turf was built last year at a cost of approximately $1.4 million.
All the revenue collected from the user fees will be deposited in a reserve account for the replacement of the synthetic turf cover in 10 to 12 years.
The current estimated cost to replace the turf is $425,000.
But the board of directors decided to give the soccer association’s youth programs a break on the fees for five years largely due to the association’s commitment and assistance in helping the municipality raise funds for various projects over the years.
Bill Keserich, president of the CVSA, had previously asked that the association’s youth programs be exempt from the fees for 10 years.
He said the association has raised up to $800,000 over the past 20 years to assist the municipality in various sports projects, including $300,000 for the Davis Williams Field.
“We are simply asking that the board take this into consideration when discussing fees for the field,” he said.
When it was decided not to charge the association’s youth programs for five years, instead of the 10 requested, councillor Joyce Behnsen said “costs are coming, so the issue of fees must be addressed.”
“I’m concerned about all the taxpayers out there,” she said.