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Ashwaubenon park board approves modest field rental rate increases for 2026
Summary
The Village of Ashwaubenon Park and Recreation Board voted Aug. 19 to raise several field rental fees, citing higher maintenance and lighting costs; changes take effect Jan. 1, 2026, and staff will include the increases in the 2026 budget request.
The Village of Ashwaubenon Park and Recreation Board on Aug. 19 approved a set of modest increases to field rental fees intended to reflect rising maintenance and lighting costs and to align rates with neighboring municipalities.
Board members voted in a voice vote to accept the proposed adjustments, which include a $5-per-hour increase for diamond (baseball/softball) field use and a $5 increase for scoreboard/light usage. Staff said the new rates will be implemented Jan. 1, 2026, as part of the 2026 budget year.
Rex (parks staff) told the board that staff compiled a survey of nearby municipalities and found wide variation in how communities price field rentals, and concluded Ashwaubenon rates had not been changed in several years. “We know we need to increase the price, Nancy,” Rex said during the discussion, arguing the change reflects higher wages, more maintenance (for example, replacement of field lights and scoreboard bulbs) and increased demand for tournaments.
David (parks staff), who assembled the spreadsheet of peer rates, told the board that tournament and security-deposit rules were also reviewed. Staff said maintenance procedures for tournaments typically include an initial morning drag of diamonds rather than continuous maintenance throughout the day; consumables such as chalk and diamond dry are either included in or deducted from security deposits depending on use.
Board members debated competitiveness and the difficulty of precisely allocating lighting costs to individual rentals because utility bills cover the whole park and multiple programs. “I would say we don't have a ton of light usage, but there are times where lights are used,” one board member said; Rex added that even small fee increases will help offset replacement costs for bulbs and specialized contractor work to service 70– to 80-foot poles.
The board voted to approve the rate adjustments and directed staff to include the updated fee schedule in the 2026 budget submittal. Staff said the increases are not currently published in the brochure and will become effective Jan. 1, 2026.
