Rental fees and charges at the Bert Church Theatre (BCT) will remain at current levels for the 2015/2016 season after City council approved a recommendation by Theatre Manager Dennis Tinkler at its meeting on June 15.
Tinkler presented council members with information about how the BCT’s fees are set.
“As in previous years, BCT rates and fees are determined using a per-seat assessment method,” Tinkler said. “This assigns an individual value per seat, giving the facility an overall market value. This is very common practice and is still the best way to determine the market value for such a facility as it addresses and accommodates all potential uses of the facility regardless of the event.”
Tinkler said staff compared BCT’s current fees and charges to other similar facilities in Spruce Grove, St. Albert and Calgary, and determined they were within the same range.
“All of the comparison venues have very similar seating capacities and when you consider where the BCT falls within the not-for-profit rates as compared to the two regional theatres, you can see that we remain well within market value for like venues.”
For example, the BCT has a seating capacity of 377 and charges a fee of 86 cents per seat for a five-hour rental by a non-profit group for a public event – one for which tickets are sold. The Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove has a seating capacity of 318 and charges 97 cents per seat for a similar event.
A comparison of fees and charges for for-profit or commercial entities show the BCT ranks favourably against the two venues in St. Albert and Spruce Grove. However, rates at two Calgary venues are higher, due, Tinkler said, to the more sophisticated services they can offer and higher operating costs.
The BCT charges commercial groups $1.62 per seat for a five-hour public event, while the Horizon Stage charges $1.45 per seat. The Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall at the University of Calgary charges $2.86 per seat while the Martha Cohen Theatre in Calgary’s Arts Commons charges $4.53 per seat.
Rental fees and charges at BCT are collected on a cost-recovery basis, according to Tinkler. The only direct costs to the City are staff salaries and contracted cleaning services. The fees and charges collected effectively cover all the other costs associated with events.
Performing arts classes for children are also offered at the theatre with the costs for the contracted instructor being recovered through registration fees, according to Tinkler.
“Our recommendation is to approve the fees as presented as they still represent fair market value and cost recovery, and it is our feeling there is no reason to change the fees at this time,” he said.
Council unanimously approved the recommendation.
