Olivette parks commission recommends higher athletic field rental fees; forwards proposal to city council

The Olivette Parks and Recreation Commission voted April 16 to recommend raising athletic field and pavilion rental fees and to forward the proposal to city council for adoption or for inclusion in the upcoming annual budget process.

The recommendation grew from staff presentations showing the city’s existing fees had not been updated for many years. Beverly, a parks staff member, told the commission the last published resident fee for field rentals was $3 per hour and $9 per hour for nonresidents, and that the department’s intent is to “recoup some of the costs associated with prepping the fields for their use that day,” not to recover full maintenance or renovation costs.

Commissioners discussed how neighboring communities charge for prime-time versus off-peak use, whether to set a minimum rental length, and how to handle school uses. Beverly said schools that use Stacy Park for daily physical-education classes are not charged for that routine use; other uses by outside teams would be charged. Commissioners asked about deposits and trash-recovery; Beverly confirmed deposits are already part of the rental policy and that a one-hour minimum is in place.

Staff said revenue from the proposed fee changes is expected to be modest at present because the city cannot accommodate many outside rentals while its own programs occupy most field time. An estimate given in the meeting put likely annual rental revenue at “a couple hundred to a thousand dollars” until fields are renovated; staff noted renovation would change potential revenue but that renovations are not funded and would require separate grant or capital funding.

The commission was also told that future fee changes will be handled more flexibly under a proposed administrative change: fees would be set annually in the city budget rather than only by ordinance, avoiding the need for multiple hearings to adjust routine rates.

Action: The commission made and seconded a motion to recommend approval of the proposed fee schedule and to forward the recommendation to the City Council for adoption. The chair called for the vote: “All in favor? Aye.” The motion passed with no recorded opposition or abstentions.

What happens next: The proposal will go to the City Council, either as an item before the budget is adopted in July or as part of the budget process. Staff said the city manager will advise whether to schedule the ordinance for the May council meeting or to include the changes in the budget cycle.

Context and next steps: Commissioners emphasized they want the parks department to be able to adjust fees more responsively in the future and to ensure regular users (including local schools) are treated consistently. Staff said they will continue to pursue grants for field renovation and will work with council staff on timing for the fee ordinance.