Council directs staff to refine recreation fees after debate over youth access and pricing

Longview — At the Jan. 9 Longview City Council meeting, John Albertson, director of Parks and Recreation, presented a review and proposed change to the city's recreation center fee structure that would move to a universal membership model and reduce many individual rates.

"All of these new proposed rates would be a reduction from where we're currently at," Albertson told council. He said staff compared Longview's rates to 15 cities with similar median incomes and found Longview's rates are higher than the majority; the proposed change would create an estimated $22,000 revenue shortfall that staff expects to offset through increased membership and marketing.

Why it matters

Council members framed the discussion as a balance between making facilities affordable for young people and ensuring operating costs are covered. Several council members urged lowering fees for youth and exploring scholarships or private sponsorship to improve access.

Key points from the discussion

- Albertson proposed a universal membership giving access to the main centers (Broughton and Paula Martin Jones); Green Street would remain on its own $15 annual rate, with Green Street access included for members over 55. "Green Street will stay just at the $15 annual rate," Albertson said.

- Staff said the senior rate is set at 55. Council members debated whether that senior age is appropriate and whether the youth cutoff — currently up to age 13 — should be raised. One council member suggested the youth threshold be 15 or 16 to reflect local needs.

- Councilmember Pirtle pressed the issue of cost for children who use the centers. "Those kids have to pay $5 or $7 every time they wanna go in there... Those kids can't afford that," she said, arguing for options that reduce repeated per-visit fees for children.

- Councilmembers discussed scholarships and private sponsorships as ways to increase access without shifting full costs to taxpayers; staff said some peer cities run such programs and Longview could expand similar offerings.

Next steps

Council members asked staff to return at the next meeting with refined fee options, including proposals for youth pricing, scholarship models and clearer age definitions for youth and senior discounts. The item will be placed on a future agenda for a vote.

Ending

The matter remained a discussion item; staff will provide revised fee options and implementation details for council consideration at an upcoming meeting.