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Staff say online rec-card system impractical; proposing player-fee model for leagues
Summary
Board members discussed moving away from physical recreation cards for league players toward a single player-fee model to simplify accounting and reduce administrative burden; staff said they will continue examining how other cities handle online rec cards.
A board member asked whether the city could offer rec cards online; staff said the department is exploring options but is leaning toward eliminating physical rec cards for organized leagues and instead charging a single player fee per season.
"We actually have been working on eliminating the rec card and just going with a player fee so that you don't have to go get a physical card," Chip said, explaining that physical cards create administrative burdens: expiration dates that fall midseason, address mismatches that change residency classification and time-consuming accounting when a league pays a single check that must be applied to many individual accounts.
Under the proposed approach, Chip said, leagues would submit rosters and the department would validate residency for billing; the league would pay a consolidated fee (for example, a $1,000 league fee) rather than individual rec-card transactions. Staff said the change would reduce transactional work and simplify accounting.
Board members noted the city of Largo had pursued online rec-card models; staff said John had consulted with a Largo representative about their approach but cautioned geographic/residency verification is a challenge when registrations are completed remotely. Staff said they will continue to evaluate options and work with league partners before implementing a permanent change.
No formal policy decision was made at the meeting; the discussion was an informational briefing and staff said next steps include continued evaluation with league stakeholders.
