Village of Jackson approves rental fee schedule for new community center; membership fees left for later review

The Park and Recreation Commission of the Village of Jackson approved a recommended base rental fee schedule for the newly expanded Jackson Community Center after a staff presentation and brief questions about audiovisual and equipment access.

Parks and Recreation staff told commissioners the recommended schedule sets base rental periods at four hours, with an hourly rate for time beyond four hours and additional charges for certain equipment and setups. ‘‘We do rent all of our facilities to non profit organizations at a standard rate of $20 per hour,’’ staff said, and noted that the nonprofit rate would remain unchanged. The staff presentation said some equipment charges — for example, for volleyball-net setup in the gym — are intended to cover extra staff time and risk of damage.

Commissioners asked about audiovisual access in the new auditorium. Staff said the auditorium will provide renters access to an HDMI port connecting to speakers and a projector, while higher-end features such as stage lighting and advanced sound systems would require additional training and generally would not be available to rental groups; ‘‘any exceptions to that would be evaluated on case by case basis,’’ staff said. Staff also said all AV equipment in the auditorium was installed and purchased by Kettlebrook Church as a partner, and the recreation department would retain access for programming.

After discussion, an unnamed commissioner moved to approve the recommended rental fee schedule and a second was made. A voice vote followed: "Aye." "Opposed? Motion carries." The motion as recorded in the meeting was to "approve the recommended fee schedule for rentals." The meeting record shows the motion carried by voice vote; no roll-call vote or individual tallies were recorded in the transcript.

Commissioners also discussed membership fees for the center but took no action. Staff said current memberships primarily cover the fitness center and that most other building spaces have been open for free community use except for instructor-led programs. Staff described membership work as a discussion item and said they were considering a nominal, base membership to support check-in and security processes and to expand controlled open-use opportunities (art room, pool tables, open gym).

To provide context, staff compared local practices: Hartford charges $10 per year, Port Washington charges $25 per resident per year, Grafton Senior Center charges $20 per year, and West Bend commonly charges by program (for example, $3 for open gym or art room use). Staff said they would return with a formal recommendation on membership levels in June or July.

The commission's meeting also included brief thanks to staff for community events and a procedural adjournment; no further actions on fees were recorded.