MONEY MATTERS: PARK BOARD CONSIDERS FEE HIKES TO OPERATE IN BLACK

In a special meeting Tuesday, the city's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board recommended a number of fee increases aimed at making city recreation programs operate nearly "in the black."

The City Council will consider the latest fee increases, along with earlier recommended fee hikes for the city's swimming pools and municipal golf course, when it approves the new budget in June.

At Tuesday's meeting, park board members rejected only a few of the fee changes for about 85 programs and activities. The board also tabled a new fee proposal for use of the ball fields and soccer fields.

In one contended item, the board agreed to increase fees for children's swimming lessons, but not to the extent proposed by the city staff.

The staff proposal called for an increase in fees for the "water babies," preschool and youth swim lessons from $12 for residents and $15 for non-residents to $18 and $21, respectively. But the board instead recommended a $3 increase for the lessons.

"I just think a $6 increase is a little too much," said board member Julia Kridelbaugh.

Board member Larry Essner questioned why the youth lessons saw excessive fee increases, while other aquatics programs were barely changed.

Dan Muser, director of the parks and recreation department, said the related costs from some of the programs are already sufficiently covered by current fees, while the swimming lessons are more expensive.

"If you don't like this proposal, then you need to recommend what you would like," said Muser.

Fee hikes in recreation programs also were questioned by board members, particularly where fees were doubled such as for youth tennis, "tiny tots gym," and "pee wee playground."

Recreation Coordinator Penny Wingerter explained that the increased revenue from the higher fees would be used to improve the programs and buy new equipment.

"When you go from being so low, and then try to increase it at all to make it meaningful, it looks like a lot, even though it's not a lot of money," said Muser.

At one point Tuesday, board member Terry Ashby said he thought the board was "nit-picking" too much over the fee increases. He said the staff is paid to study the issue and he didn't think there proposal was "out of line.

"Evidently a lot of time went into this," he said. "My personal feeling is that unless there's something blatant here we don't need to question all these fees."

"To me, we can sit here and nit pick this thing apart and they just wasted their time even putting this together."

Wingerter said the staff closely examined the fees and compared them with fees for similar program in other cities.

But Board Chairman Jim Grebing said the board needed to be careful not to approve fee increases that could ultimately reduce revenue by discouraging participation in the programs.

Kridelbaugh said she thought it was important for the board as representatives of the public to keep a close eye on user fees for city services and programs.

"I don't think we're nit picking," she said. "We still have to look at fees, and we still have to try to keep them down. I was just concerned about a lot of use dropping off. A lot of people will just say, `forget it,' if it gets too high."

The board also rejected a proposal to increase the fee for use of the A.C. Brase Arena building "open gym" and weight room from $1 to $2. Grebing said he didn't think the facility warranted a $2 daily fee.

Recreation Coordinator Scott Williams said the fee increase is an attempt by the city to try to recoup some of the $21,000 it costs to keep the facility open. The fee increase was expected to double revenue to $3,700.

A split board voted 4-3 to recommend the charge for the open gym and weight room fee remain $1 per person and that children 13 and younger, who now aren't charged to use the facility, also pay $1.

City officials have said the parks and recreation fee hikes are needed to help offset declining tax revenue. If adopted, the park board recommendations are expected to add about $92,500 to general fund revenue.

That money would help offset a current city subsidy of almost $1 million. Most of that subsidy $608,500 is earmarked for park maintenance.