At a meeting earlier this week, the Vincent Community Board made the decision to recommend the council reimburse the Alexandra Rugby Football Club but the agreed sum would be a final settlement.
Central Otago District Council parks and recreation manager Gordon Bailey told the meeting he had met club representatives.
"They were adamant they should be reimbursed for paying for power at the Molyneux Park changing rooms for people other than themselves over the years."
He had worked out the club could be reimbursed about $16,000 based on the electricity used over the 12 months the council monitored the usage.
Based on bookings forms, the changing rooms were used about 60% of the time by the rugby club, he said.
Mr Bailey’s report detailed the background.
In June 2020 the council received a letter from the club requesting the council reimburse the club $37,102.34 including GST because it paid for electricity at Molyneux Park it considered should have been paid by the council.
There are two separate electricity meters at Molyneux Park the club had paid the electricity invoices for.
The groundsman shed and bunker was on one meter and Molyneux Stadium’s side changing room showers were on the other.
Upon investigation it was found that the groundsman shed and bunker were connected to the club’s account.
That happened when the council upgraded the Molyneux Park irrigation system in late 2013.
The changing rooms connection to the club’s electricity meter was historical but the changing rooms were used exclusively by the club for rugby games and practice from April to August/September each year.
It was used intermittently by cricket when twenty20 and other representative matches in summer.
The proposed compensation for the park side changing rooms was based on the club using them 60% of the time, leaving 40% of the total of $14,697 to be reimbursed and the recommendation to the board was to approve compensation of $7,641 to the club.
In discussion, board members said there was still a discrepancy and board deputy chairman Russell Garbutt moved to pay the sum of $10,000 as a final settlement and the rest of the board agreed to.
Alexandra Rugby Football Club manager Dai Johns said the club needed to work with the council but would consider the sum tabled.
