Parks staff propose membership overhaul, separate court reservations and new fees to close budget gap

Parks and Recreation staff on Tuesday presented a proposal to restructure how Boulder sells facility access, asking the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board for input on charging by facility type, limiting some subsidies and beginning to charge for court reservations that historically were included with some rec‑center memberships.

Deputy Director Scott Schuttenberg said staff modeled the changes to “create a way to generate more revenue, still meet the needs of the public, and…have it be a win‑win for community members as well as parks and rec.” He told the board staff predict the package would add roughly $700,000 in recreation fund revenue in 2026.

Why it matters: the department says rising costs and underperforming cost‑recovery on some facilities require new pricing to preserve services. The proposals affect memberships, daily entry rates, seasonal facility passes and how courts (tennis/pickleball) are reserved and paid for. Staff emphasized a phased approach with further work on financial aid and a sliding‑scale in 2026.

What staff proposed

- Facility‑type pricing: instead of one pass that automatically covers all parks and recreation facilities, staff would sell separate passes (rec centers, seasonal outdoor pools, Boulder Reservoir) and an “all‑access” pass that bundles them with a 15% cross‑discount. The department modeled that most members use only one facility type; only about 6% used all three types last year.

- Revenue target and assumptions: staff used 2024 activity levels, forecast about 595,000 visits and included a planning assumption…