Eagle Pass commissioners approve forwarding parks and recreation fee revisions to council

Eagle Pass commissioners on Feb. 3 voted to forward proposed revisions to parks and recreation fees and related ordinance language to the city council for its required readings, after staff said increases and restructuring are needed to cover rising use, staffing and maintenance costs.

Staff presented the item as a package of fee changes and ordinance clarifications covering the aquatic center, seasonal passes, private rentals, tournaments, league fees, concessions and sports-complex rental rules. The presentation noted growing participation at city facilities, the need for additional lifeguards and operations staff, and the department’s intent to use some revenue increases to support ongoing maintenance and future repairs.

The revisions include a mix of increases and decreases depending on the service. Key examples presented by staff were: swimming lessons raised from $75 to $100 for the standard 10-day (Monday–Friday) session; daily pool admission proposed to increase from $2 to $2.50 with slide access and from $1.50 to $2 without slide access; seasonal passes adjusted (family pass proposed about $180, adult seasonal pass reduced from $130 to $80, child seasonal pass proposed at $60); private pool rentals proposed to increase from $100 to $125 per hour with the prior three-hour maximum removed to allow scheduling flexibility; a $15-per-hour additional lifeguard charge if the slide is requested during private rentals; a standard security deposit set at $150; youth league registration was proposed to increase from $40 to $50 per player; and a new per-team tournament registration fee of $150 was proposed for some tournaments.

Staff also proposed operational changes to simplify pricing: removing the separate nonprofit/for-profit distinction for many tournament and league fees and instead charging on a per-game or per-field, per-day basis so fees track actual use. For tournaments and complex rentals, staff said they modeled several changes on regional comparators and on experience since the sports complex opened. The department proposed a $5-per-hour lighting add-on for evening rentals to partially offset electrical costs and a modest increase in a daily concession-stand fee from $25 to $30. The presentation said staff will continue to refine rates for specific venues (for example, the Munoz gymnasium has attendant costs that affect rental pricing).

Staff told the commission it has not yet completed a full overhead cost analysis for every facility but that a cost-recovery study proposal from a parks professional consultant had been received and could be brought back. Commissioners asked staff to return with a clearer breakdown of overhead (personnel, utilities where separable, and recurring maintenance) and a recreation needs-assessment survey to collect public priorities. Staff said the West Lakes Hike and Bike Trail project is partially funded by a $500,000 Texas Parks and Wildlife grant and must meet a June/July completion window to satisfy grant compliance; that grant was cited during the facilities update and budgeting discussion.

After discussion about balancing affordability with covering actual operating costs, Commissioner Ricardo Rivera moved to approve the package as presented and forward it to council. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; the item will proceed to the city council for formal ordinance action and the multiple readings required for fee and ordinance amendments.

Staff listed several follow-up items to return to the commission before final implementation: a one‑to‑three month cost-recovery analysis proposal, a recreation needs-assessment survey for public input (staff said the survey draft can be presented at the next meeting), and a more detailed monthly overhead report that would show staffing and operating expenditures by facility to the extent the city’s billing systems allow.

The commission’s action at the Feb. 3 meeting was to forward the proposed fee revisions and ordinance language to the city council for its review and vote; any new fees or ordinance changes would take effect only after the council completes its hearings and ordinances. The department also said it is close to enabling online rental and registration payments and anticipates that online rentals will be available within weeks to a month, with credit-card convenience fees passed to renters.