Park board keeps nonresident fee at $15 and affirms Ashwaubenon Swim Club cosponsorship

The Village of Ashwaubenon Park and Recreation Board voted July 15 to keep the nonresident fee for cosponsored organizations at $15 and stated that the Ashwaubenon Swim Club remains a cosponsored organization despite the club’s decision to forgo direct village funding. Board members said the club still receives in‑kind services from the village — including payroll support, pool use and insurance — and that those services are part of the cosponsorship relationship.

Board discussion traced the issue to a recent Village Board modification of the cosponsorship policy. The Village Board’s change allowed cosponsored organizations to enroll nonresidents but to forfeit taxpayer-funded reimbursement if they did so. Staff said baseball and wrestling organizations had chosen to remain in the village reimbursement program; the swim club opted to decline direct funding while continuing to accept in‑kind services.

The swim club asked whether it could charge a higher nonresident fee (staff said the club considered fees between $30 and $50), but board members said the village policy and the Village Board action set the nonresident premium at $15. One board member warned that raising nonresident fees could reduce enrollment and cited an example calculation provided by staff showing a very high fee would be needed to offset lost funding.

A motion to keep the fee at $15 and to consider the swim club still cosponsored received a second and passed by voice vote; board minutes record the motion carried with no dissent recorded. Board members directed that any broader fee changes be considered during next year’s budget process if the board wants to revisit the $15 amount.