City parks staff provided an overview of the city’s recreation agreements and user groups at the July 7 Parks, Natural Resources and Cultural Affairs Board meeting, summarizing nine recurring agreements and how each contributes to park operations.

Staff listed groups that operate under agreements or usage arrangements, including organized league providers such as the Cable Disc Association (ultimate Frisbee), youth baseball organizations, the rowing club at Lake Fayetteville, the horseshoe club at Walker Park, a model-airplane club at Coons Park, and others. Staff said some groups pay participant or player fees (for example, youth baseball and ultimate Frisbee), which the city uses to offset maintenance costs at the facilities those groups use. Other groups provide capital contributions: staff cited past dock and dock‑related work at Lake Fayetteville that was funded by donors and local contributing groups.

Why it matters: staff said the agreements both enable regular community programming and reduce direct city maintenance costs for high‑use facilities. Some agreements include a funding or capital-contribution component; others are primarily usage arrangements with either minimal or no fees. Staff said annual reports are provided by these organizations and that the city is working to standardize and update agreements so expectations and formats are consistent across partner groups.

Board members asked about expectations for groups that do not charge participant fees. Staff said those organizations are typically expected to purchase required permits or pay daily/annual marine fees (for boating groups) and may help with maintenance and capital projects. Staff specifically noted the rowing club pays annual or daily boating fees and contributed funds toward dock construction; the club also stores boats at the marina under the agreement.

Staff said some agreements include a public-access component — for example, Tampa Gardens provides specific public access times — and that some organizations receive city operational funding separate from usage agreements, such as the senior center and the Boys & Girls Club, which have annual budget requests for programming.

Actions and next steps: staff will continue annual reporting and outreach to groups, bring groups into meetings on a one‑ or two‑year schedule for updates, and are working to finalize and standardize agreement language. Board members and staff discussed forming subcommittees to help with liaison work to the school district, arts groups and donors for specific projects.

Discussion versus decision: the staff presentation was informational; no formal actions or new fee changes were adopted at the meeting. Board members suggested possible focus areas for future subcommittees, including school‑district partnerships, donor recognition, and outreach to performance and arts groups.

Bottom line: staff said the city’s mix of user fees, capital contributions, and annual operating support helps deliver a range of recreational services, and staff are standardizing agreements to clarify expectations and responsibilities for partners.