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Parks commission opens wide review of reservation, fees and conduct policy
Summary
Commissioners reviewed the Park Use Policy (adopted 2014, revised 2016 and 2019) and discussed reservable facilities, nonresident fees, deposits, lighting charges and a possible separate parks code of conduct; staff will compile comments for a later Council submittal.
The City of Lake Elmo Parks Commission held an extended discussion of the city’s Park Use Policy, focusing on fee structure, reservable facilities, deposits, lighting charges and whether a separate parks code of conduct should be adopted.
City staff told the commission the current Park Use Policy dates from 2014 with reviews in 2016 and 2019 and that staff has observed an increase in reservations following new and upgraded amenities. Staff provided examples of current refundable deposit practices, a seasonal lighting fee (noted currently at about $150 per season for field lighting), and an estimated annual lighting-related fee revenue figure (staff said roughly $6,000 in lighting fees across users). Staff asked for commissioner input on whether more shelters and courts should be reservable, whether deposits should be larger or nonrefundable, and whether a portion of court or shelter capacity should remain open to the public when clubs reserve space.
Commissioners proposed a range of changes and practices: raising nonresident fees, moving from fully refundable deposits to partial or nonrefundable deposits, offering half‑day and full‑day shelter reservations, creating an hourly lighting fee option, reserving courts in pairs rather than entire courts, and holding back a percentage of courts for drop‑in public use. Several commissioners favored keeping parks broadly accessible for residents while ensuring reservation practices cover utility and maintenance costs. One commissioner suggested phasing in changes rather than a single large increase.
Members also debated separating a standalone parks code of conduct from the reservation policy so rules applying to all park users (reserved or not) would be clearer; commissioners suggested the code could enumerate prohibited behavior (for example, fighting) and address modern issues such as inflatables, food trucks and insurance or permitting requirements. Staff noted some neighboring cities require insurance for inflatables and licensing for food trucks.
Staff said the commission’s comments would be compiled and returned for further review and possible motion to City Council, with an anticipated implementation target of the 2026 reservation season. Commissioners were invited to submit additional comments to staff over the following weeks.
