Parks board recommends updated pricing policy to council after discussion of fee waivers and residency proof

The Parks & Recreation Advisory Board voted to recommend the city—s updated pricing policy to City Council after a staff briefing and board discussion on waiver use and residency verification.

Staff cited the Gahanna codified ordinance requiring the parks board to recommend an annual pricing policy and described a limited substantive change: clarifying the expectation for proving residency in online registration modules as more patrons register digitally. Stephanie (staff) said the change formalizes an existing practice rather than creating a new residency surcharge.

The board discussed the nonresident fee range (noting it can be up to 200% in some circumstances), household credits for cancelled registrations, the timing of credits and the fee‑waiver process. Nicole (registrations staff) reported that most fee waivers in 2024 and 2025 were school‑related (six waivers tied to Gahanna schools in 2024; seven in 2025). Board members said they favored keeping case‑by‑case review with clearer guardrails to prevent inconsistent precedent while continuing partnerships with schools and community organizations for community events and programming.

After discussion, a board member moved to recommend the pricing policy as presented; the motion was seconded and approved by roll call.

The board instructed staff to track waiver usage and to bring concerns back if the number of full waivers appears to rise. No change to the weekday nonprofit/church 25% discount or the school waiver practices was adopted in the meeting record; members suggested monitoring for excessive use and applying limits (for example, partial waivers or weekend caps) if patterns change.

Ending: The board forwarded the pricing policy recommendation to City Council and asked staff to monitor waiver counts and report back if trends or problems emerge.