Parks rentals generated about $85,000 in fiscal year; department pilots new people‑counting tool

Parks and recreation staff reported roughly $85,000 in facility rental revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and detailed reservation counts across parks and centers as part of an informational discussion about park usage and facility reservations.

Liz (staff member) presented a year‑to‑date summary of bookings and revenues, noting that the figure reflects paid reservations and that some facility bookings are internal city activities or partnerships that do not generate rental revenue. She highlighted specific items: the city’s dog park reservations brought in about $4,700, the Multi‑Generational Center reported more than $20,000 in rentals, and total reservation records encompassed tens of thousands of bookings (staff described the system count as 24,000+ reservation entries, which includes many internal or nonprofit uses and multiple bookings by the same groups).

Liz also described reservation patterns at larger sites — Prospector Park tournaments and leagues, Ramada rentals at Painted Sky and Flatiron Park, and frequent weekend and holiday use at the Aquatic Center — and said staff can provide more granular reporting on renters and use types on request.

To improve park usage metrics beyond reservation logs and periodic ranger counts, the city will pilot a paid service (Placer.ai) used by other municipalities to estimate visitor counts from aggregated location data. Staff said the new service will allow comparisons with on‑the‑ground counts at events and help guide priorities for maintenance and capital improvements.

Commissioners asked how rental revenue is used; Liz said the funds go to the city’s general fund and support operations and maintenance. No action was taken; staff offered to return with a more detailed breakdown of reservation types and renter categories if the commission requests it.