Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Recreation Fees topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wells parks director defends season pass fees for new pickleball courts as board presses for family options
Summary
Parks and Recreation Director outlined pricing and access system for six new pickleball courts — $135 resident season pass, $40 monthly, day and weekly passes — and described an electronic gate/code enforcement approach; Select Board members asked for a family pass option and more fee history for board review.
The Select Board on June 3 heard a detailed explanation of fees and access proposed for the town’s recently completed pickleball and tennis courts and discussed whether the pricing and enforcement approach should come before the board for review.
Parks and Recreation Director Tina explained the courts’ revenue plan and enforcement: season passes are $135 for residents, a day pass is $10 for residents ($5 for the morning open‑play block), a monthly pass is $40 and a weekly pass is available for visitors. Tina said enterprise funds, grants, article funding and program fees will be used to cover the courts’ roughly $600,000 rebuild cost and that about half of the project was supported by taxation while the remainder is expected from enterprise and grant sources. To support enforcement, she said members receive a four‑digit access code to open the gate; staff supervise an open‑play block each morning and security cameras provide after‑hours oversight.
“I know we work that with each other. So that that's happening 07:30 to 10:30. People that just wanna come in and just play for the 07:30 to 10:30 slot, they can pay $5 just to join that day for that time slot,” Tina said, describing the morning open‑play arrangement. She also told the board the $135 season price is “nominal” and lower than comparable nearby towns.
Board members and residents pressed for more procedural clarity and consumer options. Several asked for a family pricing tier and a historical fee breakdown the board could review before the department finalizes a broad public rollout. One board member asked for a future workshop so the department could present fee history, program counts and enforcement details to the Select Board. Tina said she could provide a history and examples of comparable town pricing.
The Select Board discussed practical enforcement and access: the town’s plan relies on an honor system supported by morning staff supervision and video monitoring, rather than continuous on‑site staffing outside the supervised block. Tina said staff can review security footage and activity logs if misuse is suspected and that guest passes cost $5 for members who bring nonmembers.
Board members encouraged the recreation department to return with a written fee history and with proposals for a family pass and other options that would preserve program revenue while addressing affordability for households.
No formal fee schedule vote occurred at the June 3 meeting; the board directed staff to provide fee history and return for further review.
