Commission outlines process for setting recreation program fees, proposes budget committee review and public outreach

City recreation staff presented a proposed process for establishing program fees and asked commissioners to review and refine the approach before recommendations go to City Council. The commission did not vote on fee levels at the meeting but agreed to further budget-committee work and public outreach.

Dennis (Recreation staff) said the new proposal is staff-driven initially: staff will calculate the true cost of programs (including staff time, facilities, equipment and supplies), group programs by priority (for example, senior programming or teen offerings), and place them in a cost-recovery "pyramid" that guides subsidy levels. "We have worksheets that show what our true cost is based on staff time, facility, equipment and supplies," Dennis told the commission.

Staff described certain "outlier" programs that carry small participant fees to reduce no-shows and offset unusual per-participant costs. Dennis cited the city’s golf clinics as an example: the clinics currently charge $5 and have experienced frequent no-shows; staff proposed raising that fee to $10 to improve attendance and fill limited slots. Dennis also said higher-priced field trips would be evaluated to determine whether the family should bear more of the ticket cost and noted the department’s existing financial-assistance partnership with Play Inc. to ensure access for low-income residents.

Commissioners stressed outreach to the users most affected by fee changes. Commissioner Godinho and others emphasized that school-based communications often fail to reach students, and suggested direct outreach at events, churches and community gatherings rather than relying solely on flyers or utility-bill inserts. One commissioner suggested utility-bill inserts are often discarded and may be ineffective.

The commission agreed the timing for implementation should target the winter program cycle; staff said the fall guide was already in planning and summer programming was already set. Commissioners also agreed to convene the budget committee monthly on Fridays at 10 a.m. to refine the fee categories and public outreach plan. Dennis said the committee would meet separately to fine-tune categories and then bring final recommendations to the full commission before staff forwards them to council.

No formal fee increases were approved at the meeting. The commission requested that staff present a clear public-engagement plan and suggested using in-person outreach at events where residents already gather to ensure families and teens receive information. Staff said it will return with worksheets, the proposed pyramid placements and recommended outreach options in a forthcoming budget-committee meeting.