Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facility Fees topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Community education proposes $1 increase to some facility rental classes, adds $450 tournament charge
Summary
Community education staff proposed raising facility use fees for class 3–5 rentals by $1 and adding a $450 per-building charge for tournaments, and added parking-lot permitting language. The board asked questions about varsity field rentals, exemptions for PTO and other groups, and will consider a vote at a future meeting.
Kate Anderson, the district's community education director, told the Mahtomedi Public School District board April 28 that staff plan to propose modest fee changes for community facility rentals, including a $1 increase for class 3, 4 and 5 rentals and a new $450 per-building tournament charge.
Anderson said the $450 charge is intended to cover tournament amenities and consumables (toilet paper, paper towels and similar costs) and that the athletic council — a group with one director from each association — reviewed the proposal and "unanimously" supported it. Anderson also said the facility-use agreement language was updated to allow limited use of parking lots for shuttle operations (for example to support an off-site wedding venue), and that some additional clarifying permit language was added so groups notify the district about permitted activities.
Board members asked several operational questions during the presentation. Director Donna asked whether the varsity baseball field has been rented; Anderson said it has not been rented under her watch but the district is discussing potential limited uses such as championship games. Director Regan asked whether routine parking-lot uses (for example private sale or storage of a boat) would be covered; Anderson said no, the parking-lot language is for permitted uses such as shuttling and for groups to notify the district about presence during operations or construction. Director Peterson asked whether PTO events are charged; Anderson said class-2 groups, including PTO and some partner organizations such as MAFE, are exempt from the proposed increases.
Anderson said associations commonly partner on maintenance and improvements — she cited an example where a baseball association had contributed more than $65,000 toward renovations — and said the athletic council supports the fee proposal. She asked the board to review the packet language so that staff could present the item for a vote at a subsequent meeting.
The board did not take a vote on the fee changes April 28. The presenter asked for questions and said she expected to bring the item back for board approval at a future meeting after follow-up with associations and staff.
Clarifying details
- Fee increase proposed: add $1 across all class 3, 4 and 5 facility rental categories (per hour or per unit as defined in policy; the packet included class definitions). - Tournament charge proposed: $450 per building for tournament events (to cover consumables and amenities). - Parking lot use: permit language added to allow certain shuttle uses; routine private storage/sales are not covered. - Exemptions: class-2 groups (including PTO and MAFE) remain exempt from the proposed increases, per Anderson.
Next steps
Staff said they will follow up with associations, confirm operational details (for example if and how to permit varsity-field rentals) and bring a finalized recommendation back to the board for action.
