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Meridian staff proposes phased fee increases for HomeCourt to boost cost recovery; council signals support for larger immediate increase
Summary
Parks staff proposed a two‑phase fee increase for the HomeCourt recreation facility to raise cost recovery; the proposal would raise day-pass and membership rates and increase court rental and event fees. Councilmembers signaled support for moving fees to public hearing and several urged adopting the larger, second-phase increase immediately.
Parks and recreation staff proposed a two-stage fee increase for the HomeCourt recreation facility to boost cost recovery, presenting usage and revenue figures and asking council for feedback before a required public hearing.
Project manager Garrett told council HomeCourt had nearly 49,000 day-pass check-ins in the last full year of record (fiscal 2024) and roughly 3,400 active memberships. He said the city adopted the facility’s existing fee structure when it acquired the facility from the YMCA and that the current cost-recovery ratio has dropped from about 49% (FY23 actuals) to a projected 38% for FY25.
Staff proposed a phased approach: phase 1 would increase day passes from the current tiered levels to a new $3/$4/$5 structure (transcript: raising from "2, 3, and 4 to 3, 4, and 5") and increase membership prices in the same ratio (Garrett noted a proposed membership schedule of about $21/$28/$35). Staff also proposed raising hourly rental rates for practice from $45 to $65 and an event fee of $75 per court when a group closes the facility. Garrett said phase 1 fees would be posted for public comment and, if approved, would take effect Sept. 1 to align with annual floor resurfacing and HVAC work.
Garrett said staff favored a gradual approach to keep participation levels, but several council members urged a larger immediate increase. Council members Sam Schaer and Taylor (first names not used on the record) said they would be comfortable moving directly to the higher second‑phase fees rather than phasing increases; Schaer said the city’s resident day-pass rates remain a strong value even after larger increases.
Staff emphasized non‑fee revenue options under study, including rentals, sponsorships and a potential beverage exclusivity contract. Garrett also said staff had reduced next year’s janitorial line from prior estimates and expected at least $52,000 in savings from current-year adjustments.
No formal vote was taken. Garrett said staff is seeking direction and would post the proposed phase 1 fees and schedule a public hearing if council gives the go‑ahead. Several council members asked staff to consider nonprofit discounts and comparables for larger tournament pricing; Garrett said comparable local facilities charge around $64 per court per hour, and the proposed $65–$75 rates are consistent with that market.
Why this matters: HomeCourt is a heavily used recreation facility; staff said fees are overdue for review and that fee changes could materially reduce the facility’s annual subsidy. Staff framed the proposal as the first step in a multi-year plan for improved cost recovery.
Next steps: Staff will post the proposed fees and return with a public‑hearing item; several council members asked staff to come back prepared to discuss adopting the larger phase‑2 rates if public feedback supports that move.
