Bluff City aldermen, residents debate charging rental fee for Wells Park pavilion

A proposed discussion about creating a rental fee for Wells Park’s pavilion drew sharp comments from residents and aldermen at Wednesday’s Bluff City meeting, with several speakers urging the board to keep park access free.

Public works supervisor Alan Moultrie described maintenance demands for the park and said the department currently has no dedicated repair fund. "Whenever there's damage or anything like that, that comes out of our funding," Moultrie told the board, summarizing staff’s maintenance burden.

Several residents invoked the park’s origin and community mission. One longtime resident asked aldermen to remember that the pavilion was a community gift and argued against charging residents to use it: "I didn't work hard to get it done to charge people to come and have to pay to have fun," the resident said, citing volunteer labor and earlier grant funding used to build the pavilion.

Aldermen discussed practical issues that would follow any rental policy: how to control access to restrooms, who would be responsible for cleaning, and whether signage or cameras could deter vandalism. Alderman Payne said more than one town staffer should be cross-trained to post meeting videos; in the parks discussion he said the town needs a measured approach and that posting policies should not be rushed.

Some aldermen said the town has limited budget capacity for recurring maintenance and suggested exploring part-time staff or a parks maintenance position funded through the general budget rather than immediate rental fees. Alderman Malone noted parks-related budget lines and said winter workshop discussions could generate policy options: "This winter, workshop and see what kind of plans we can come up with."

Residents proposed alternatives: a volunteer parks committee, targeted grant dollars (a $15,000 award from a local source was referenced during discussion), and clearer signage and cameras to discourage vandalism. Michelle Roberts, a resident who spoke during public comment, recommended forming a community committee to provide input on park priorities and to poll residents on options.

Why it matters: The park is widely used for free recreation and family events; aldermen said any change in access or introduction of fees would require policy design to ensure equitable access and reliable maintenance.

No formal policy or fee was adopted at the meeting; aldermen directed staff to include parks maintenance and possible policy options in a future workshop.