Ice Allotment and Conditions of Rental Policy

Purpose

This policy will establish a procedure for ice allotment and conditions for ice rentals in order to efficiently schedule and rent ice time in Norfolk County Arenas. 

Implementation procedure

1. Definitions

1.1 Accommodate:  To make fit, suitable, or congruous; to bring into agreement; to make room for; and, to give consideration to (allow for the special interests of various groups). 
 
1.2 Prime Hours:  Weekday hours, from 4:00 p.m. to 1.00 a.m., and weekend hours from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. 
 
1.3 Non-Prime Hours: Weekday hours, from 1:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and weekend hours from 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. 
  
1.4 Regular Season:  The period from September 1 to April 30. 
     
1.5 Off-Season:  The period from May 1 to August 31. 
 
1.6 Ice User Committee: A committee of user group/organization representatives who have made application for ice time for the upcoming season in a particular arena facility. 
 
1.7 Minor Use Groups: Those recognized groups operated by volunteers for organized activities for youth, i.e. minor hockey associations, figure skating clubs, etc. 
 
1.8 Adult Groups:  Those recognized groups operated by volunteers for  organized activities for adults (>50% must be Norfolk  residents); 

2. Ice Scheduling

2.1  Norfolk County Arenas shall be the only County facilities affected by this policy. 
 
2.2 The authority to book and assign ice time shall be the responsibility of the Manager of Recreation Services. 
 
2.3 Ice time is the property of the Norfolk County and no organization/group has ice reserved from year to year, however, it is a general understanding that discussions regarding ice time for the forthcoming season shall be based on the previous year s schedule. No ice time shall be scheduled for the new year until all outstanding invoices have been paid in full. 

3. Procedure for Scheduling Regular Season Ice times (September 1-April 30)

3.1 In April of each year, all potential users of the Norfolk County Arenas shall be required to submit requests for ice time to the Facilities Allocation Booking Clerk on the approved Ice Request Form. 
 
3.2 A weekly schedule and special events schedule shall be drafted by the Facilities Allocation Booking Clerk. In May/June, schedules shall be forwarded to the Arena User Committee for comment. If there are conflicts regarding ice time that cannot be resolved amicably, an ice meeting with the Arena User Committee shall be held by the Manager, Recreation Services prior to the opening of the arena. 
 
3.3 Within Norfolk County Arenas, preference for ice time shall be given as follows:  
 
a. Norfolk County Minor Use Groups/Organizations; 

b. Other organized children s, senior s and organizations representing people  with disabilities;

c. Regular yearly tournaments and special events; 

d. Municipal programs; 

e. Adult Groups; 

f. School Use; 

g. New adult requests and any other request. 

3.4 No group shall be bumped by another if, in the opinion of the Manager, Recreation Services, unused reasonable ice time is available elsewhere in a local arena or in other Norfolk County Arena schedules. 
 
3.5 When scheduling adult use, Norfolk County-based teams shall be given preference (>50% must be Norfolk residents). Proof of residency may be necessary.     
 
3.6 Where the demand for ice time to accommodate minor sports, seniors, and people with disabilities exceeds the ice time available, the Facilities Allocation Booking Clerk shall schedule no adult team/league prior to 9:30 p.m, seven days a week.

4. Procedure for Scheduling Off Season Ice times (May 1-August 31)

4.1 In December, of each year, all potential users of Norfolk County Arenas are required to submit requests for ice time to the Facilities Allocation Booking Clerk on the approved Ice Request Form. 
 
4.2  The Facilities Allocation Booking Clerk shall draft a weekly schedule and special events schedule. This includes any special request(s) for ice time from May through to August.  In February, a schedule shall be forwarded to the Arena User Committee for comment. If there are conflicts regarding ice times that cannot be resolved amicably, an ice meeting with the Arena User Committee will be held by the Manager, Recreation Services.  
 
4.3 Within the Norfolk County Arenas, preference for ice time shall be given as follows: 
a.  Private sector community organization schools and training programs. 

b.  Municipal programs. 

c.  Off-season youth and adult users.  

d.  New ice request(s). 

4.4 No group shall be pre-empted by another if, in the opinion of the Manager, Recreation Services, unused reasonable ice time is available elsewhere in the schedule. 
 
4.5 Norfolk County reserves the right to designate which facility will be used for off- season ice time.  If ice requests are not sufficient, Norfolk County reserves the right to determine the length of time the facility will be operational.

5. Ice Rentals 

5.1 All groups/organizations renting ice at Norfolk County Arenas (including Minor Hockey, Figure Skating) shall be required to sign an Ice time Agreement outlining the conditions of their ice rental permits. When available, groups/organizations shall provide a Certificate of Insurance, naming Norfolk County as an additional insured.   
 
5.2 A one-hour ice rental is based on fifty (50) minutes of ice time and ten (10) minutes for ice maintenance. 
 
5.3 All groups/organizations renting ice will ensure that no one shall be on the ice during the operation of the ice resurfacing machine and shall remain off the ice until the maintenance person is off the ice and the gate is closed.  Continuing infractions will result in the group s/individual s ice contract being suspended.  
 
5.4 User Groups /individuals having or drinking alcoholic beverages in any Norfolk Arena without an approved Special Occasion Permit, shall have their ice contract suspended or this will lead to the refusal of further contract applications.  
 
5.5 Norfolk County shall not be responsible for any lost or stolen goods or money, whether from a dressing room or elsewhere in the facility. It is the responsibility of the groups/organizations to ensure that the dressing room door is locked or supervised while they are on the ice.

5.6 The renting group shall be responsible for all damages caused to the building, grounds, chattels and equipment belonging to Norfolk County, as a result of malicious damage or acts of vandalism as may have been perpetuated by members of the group before or after the rental period. Any repairs that are required as a result of damages will be invoiced to, and be the responsibility of, the renting group/organization and must be paid in full. Frequent damages by any one organization/group may result in having ice-renting privileges revoked. 
 
5.7 To encourage appropriate behavior and activities and to promote a safe and positive atmosphere, it shall be understood that the group/organization/individual that rents Norfolk County facilities must take primary responsibility for the behavior and actions of all persons associated with their program or event.  
 
5.8 Depending on circumstances, the County shall require the group/organization/ 
 individual to engage paid security or take other agreed-upon action to ensure appropriate security for the duration of a scheduled event.

6. Ice Rental Fees

6.1 All groups/organizations/ individuals renting ice in Norfolk County Arenas shall do so at rates that are approved by Council.  Rate increases shall become effective May 1of each year and will be set one year prior to that date.   
 
6.2 Any group that has an outstanding balance of unpaid ice rental fees prior to the start of a new ice season shall not be allowed any ice-time until the account balance is paid in full or other payment arrangements have been made with the Manager of Business Systems, Norfolk County Community Services  Department. 
 
6.3 Any group with a documented history of poor payment, cancellations, or  no- shows , may be pre-empted by other groups who have proven themselves to be more reliable. 
 
6.4 Norfolk County arenas shall be closed to the public, annually, on Christmas Day and New Year s Day.  Where it is deemed uneconomical to remain open during other statutory holidays, or holidays declared by the Council of the Corporation of Norfolk County, and at the Manager, Parks & Facilities Division s discretion, the arenas shall also be closed giving seventy-two (72) hours notice to the groups/organization affected by the closure. 
 
 Individuals or groups wishing to rent ice time on a statutory holiday or on holidays declared by Council of the Corporation of Norfolk County shall be charged the approved hourly ice time rate, plus the applicable overtime wage costs for staffing the event on a statutory holiday.  Norfolk County reserves the right to apply minimum booking requirements. 
 
6.5  All ice rental fees are due when rendered and are net thirty days.  Any balance outstanding beyond thirty days from the date of billing shall be assessed a late payment charge, in the amount of 15% per annum or 1.25% per month charged on the first day of default and on the first day of each calendar month that the principle remains unpaid. Any group/organization, after two months of non- payment of their outstanding invoice must meet with the Manager of Business Systems to make payment arrangements.  
 
6.6  It is recognized that from time to time, the Grand Erie District School Board and the Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk Roman Catholic District School Board and the municipality may exchange the use of facilities. The use and availability of arenas may be subject to conditions outlined in the Fees Schedule and any joint use agreements with the respective Boards of Education.

7. Cancellations 

7.1 Norfolk County may cancel ice time at any time in the event of tournaments, play-offs, and special events.  In cancellation situations, the County shall, whenever possible, notify the designated contact for the group/organization involved, seventy-two (72) hours prior to the said cancelled time. 
 
7.2.  If any group/organization wishes to cancel ice time and not be invoiced for that cancelled time, the representative designated by the group/organization shall give the Facilities Allocation Booking Clerk seventy-two (72) hours notice.  If the required notice is not given, the Facilities Booking Allocation Clerk will make all effort to reallocate the ice time, however, if the Facilities Allocation Booking Clerk is not successful in rescheduling the cancelled ice time, the group/organization will be responsible for payment of the ice time in question. 
 
7.3 Any cancellations caused by storms, floods, power failures, acts of God or business interruptions caused by mechanical failure of Norfolk County s equipment, will be considered unavoidable and the group/organization will not be charged for cancellations of this nature, nor will the County be held responsible for any losses, whatsoever, arising from cancellations for circumstances outlined in this section. 
 
7.4 The subletting of ice by groups/organization/individuals is prohibited. All unused ice time must be returned to the Facilities Allocation Booking Clerk for resale as a new rental contract.  

8. Facilities

8.1 Any group/organization shall be prohibited from possessing keys for any Norfolk County arena.  Only County authorized staff and personnel will hold keys to enter Norfolk County Arenas. 
 
8.2 The user group/organization shall ensure that dressing rooms are vacated within thirty (30) minutes after the end of the rental.  The group/organization further ensures that the dressing rooms shall be left in a clean condition. 
 
8.3 Any group/organization who continues to disregard the above regulations will be required to submit a damage deposit at the start of the season to ensure that the dressing rooms are left in a respectful manner.  The deposit will be refunded at the end of the season. Groups/organizations that continue not to vacate or leave the dressing room in a clean condition after their rental period will result in the group s/individual s ice contract being 
suspended.  
 
8.4 As a courtesy to all who use the dressing rooms, cellular phone usage and Personal Digital Assistant usage shall be restricted to either the hallway or outside of the facility.

9. Tournaments and Special Events 

9.1   Tournament final ice schedules shall be submitted to the Facilities Allocation Booking Clerk fourteen (14) days prior to the tournament. If not, unused ice time will be charged to tournament organizers, unless reallocated by the Facilities Allocation Booking Clerk. 
 
9.2   The tournament chairperson or designate shall meet with the Parks & Facilities Lead Hand or designate five (5) days before the tournament to ensure ice and facility use details are arranged and to ensure that information on needs may be forwarded to Recreation Division maintenance employees who will be on duty during the function.

9.3 For all tournaments held October 1st, through to March 31st, ice time will commence at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For tournaments held outside the above months, ice time will be coordinated with the Facilities Allocation Booking Clerk to best suit tournament and arena staff shifts. 
 
9.4 When the Minor Hockey Association hosts a tournament, all other minor hockey ice time on the weekend will be offered to pre-empted groups on a percentage basis with preference to other youth groups, then to adult groups. Any remaining ice time shall be offered back to the Minor Hockey Association. 

10. Policy Review

10.1. This policy is reviewed annually, and if warranted, any recommendation(s) for adjustment to the policy must be submitted by March 15 to the Manager of Recreation Services for consideration.