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Port St. Lucie council approves $140 weekly rate for municipal summer camps
Summary
Council approved raising the Parks & Recreation summer camp weekly fee to $140 to reach full cost recovery; sibling discount and related impacts will be studied and discussed as part of union negotiations and future reporting.
The Port St. Lucie City Council approved a fee increase on Feb. 24 that raises the Parks & Recreation summer camp weekly rate to $140, a change staff said would move the program to full cost recovery.
Kelly Boatwright of Parks & Recreation presented the request, stating the increase would bring the program to full cost recovery. She told council the requested $140 per week does not include any sibling discount. Boatwright said staff previously offered a small sibling discount (about $5 per sibling in prior years) but that continuing a discount while moving to cost recovery would require further analysis and discussion with bargaining units.
Council members discussed market comparisons offered by staff: the Boys & Girls Club was referenced at about $125 per week, the YMCA around $175, and some private providers as high as $200 a week. Council asked staff to supply data on how many participants used a sibling discount in prior years and noted the city could perform a post‑implementation analysis after the season.
Staff said some prior employee discounts were used by roughly 50 employees; however, citywide sibling participation figures were not immediately available and staff committed to supplying that data. Several council members expressed concern about fee increases for residents but also noted that the proposed $140 rate remains competitive in the local market.
A motion to approve the fee increase carried with no recorded opposition. Council also directed staff to provide follow‑up information on sibling participation rates and to review the program after implementation.
The fee change will be applied to the summer camp registration process for the upcoming season; staff said they will bring back post‑implementation results to council.
