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District to revise field‑use fee schedule; community groups warn steep increases could affect local programs
Summary
On May 6 the policy committee reviewed a revised facilities‑usage fee schedule attached to AR 7‑07 and heard public comment warning that some proposed increases — in some cases doubling or more — would raise costs for local nonprofit programs.
District staff on May 6 presented an updated fee schedule as an attachment to Administrative Regulation 7‑07 (building and field usage) and explained the schedule was adjusted to better reflect the district’s costs for materials and labor.
The matter drew public comment from Amy Strachan, executive director of a local nonprofit that runs recreational programming, who warned the proposed increases would materially raise program costs. ‘‘This new proposed fee schedule would triple that,’’ Strachan said, describing an example where a previously affordable camp would see a large rise in its facility charge. She added her organization provides low‑cost programming for local families and offers financial aid "to anyone who applies. No questions asked."
Staff noted some prior fee adjustments two years earlier had already brought rates closer to market and that the current draft remains intentionally measured so groups do not experience a single large increase. Staff also said some small fees (for example, painting field lines) had been set too low in the past — one example cited was a prior charge of $10 for field paint when the paint alone costs roughly $150 — and that the new schedule seeks to recover actual costs.
Board members asked staff to route the revised fee schedule to the finance and facilities committee for additional review and to identify an appropriate effective date and a clean cutoff for existing summer permits so groups already contracted are not retroactively charged higher rates. Staff agreed to bring the fee schedule to the finance/ facilities committee and to work on timing and communications with community users.
The committee did not adopt the fee schedule at this meeting; staff said they will coordinate with finance/facilities and return with recommendations on effective dates and communications.
