Council approves changes to park and recreation fee rules, seeks flexibility for special events

Miami City Council approved changes Nov. 4 to the city—s park and recreation fee language to create a new sports-and-recreation fee schedule and allow more flexible, case-by-case pricing for events, staff said.

Staff introduced an ordinance (identified in the packet as "Ordinance 2025-11" and a related piece as "Ordinance 2025-12") that would add a fee schedule to Chapter 16 and revise Section 16-5 to permit variable pricing. Staff and council members discussed examples of events that have strained staffing resources, including a cited example of "monster trucks," and said fees are intended in part to recover staffing and facility costs. Staff noted some existing local organizations (referred to as SARP in the packet) would likely remain primary operators of certain programs such as soccer through 2026–27; council acknowledged potential long-term transitions but did not adopt any change to operator arrangements on the record.

Council asked for and received assurances that fee-setting would be applied with case notes and criteria so decisions would be consistent across events. A motion to approve the ordinance language passed following standard motion and second.

The action authorizes staff to use the revised fee schedule and to return with any necessary administrative details; the transcript does not record specific fee amounts within the packet beyond discussion of policy and examples.