It has become a familiar refrain at North Battleford council meetings in the past number of weeks.
User groups come forward seeking to have user fees waived or reduced at City recreational facilities, only to be turned down and urged instead to seek community grants through the Parks and Recreation Committee.
Four such requests came to council in 2013 alone, including two more at Monday's meeting that were also turned down: one from Prairie North Health Region Autism Services and the other from Connaught School, both seeking waivers of user fees at the NationsWEST Field House for separate events there.
City council has passed a resolution to give city administration the authority to deny all requests for reduction or waiving of user fees at all City facilities and dispensing with the facility fee on ticket sales at the Dekker Centre.
That resolution passed by a 5-1 margin, with only Councillor Cathy Richardson opposed.
Though the resolution passed, councillors were quick to point out there is funding available for these user groups to cover costs, and encouraged them to seek out those alternative funding sources, such as community grants. The groups are also encouraged to seek out sponsors.
