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Council removes fee‑waiver language from parks and recreation rate ordinance for further study
Summary
After lengthy debate, Fulton council removed a proposed parks-and-rec fee‑waiver subsection from its rate ordinance and moved the remainder of the fee schedule to the next reading so staff and the park board can develop clearer criteria.
Fulton City Council members amended Bill 17-44, which updates the city’s 2025 schedule of fees and charges for parks and recreation, to remove a proposed fee‑waiving policy and sent the ordinance to a future reading.
Why it matters: The council and park board debated whether to give Parks & Recreation staff discretion to grant discounts or to set a more prescriptive policy. Supporters of discretion said it would let staff and the park board quickly support beneficial local events; critics said an open waiver policy risks inconsistent treatment and community perceptions of unfairness.
Park board members presented their recommendation. Charlene McArthur, the park superintendent, said the board’s original recommendation was to “stand by their original recommendation that the city of Fulton adopt and approve a no‑waive waiving fees” (transcript: Park board recommendation alternative). The board later proposed a narrower alternative that would allow a 20% facility rental discount to groups with 501(c)(3) status while preserving deposits and setup/tear‑down fees.
Council members debated several points: whether waiver authority should rest with the park superintendent or with council; how much money the city currently waives (the packet showed several thousand dollars in waived fees for the prior year); and whether a policy should require objective criteria (e.g., nonprofit status, events open to the public, demonstrated community benefit).
Outcome: Council removed subsection 3 (the fee‑waiving policy) from Bill 17-44 and voted to place the remainder of the bill on the next agenda for reading. Councilmembers asked staff and the park board to craft a clearer policy with objective criteria and to provide additional data on past waivers before final adoption.
Ending: The ordinance will return to council after park board input and additional staff clarification on holiday rates and the history of waived amounts.
