The El Segundo Recreation and Parks Commission approved a contract with Recreation Technologies to replace the city’s aging CivicRec registration and reservation system, voting 4-0 to move forward with a four-year agreement totaling $231,000 including a one-time $15,000 implementation fee.

Staff presented the recommendation after a multi-vendor evaluation that included demonstrations from Tyler Technologies, Explore Recreation, Kaizen Labs and Recreation Technologies. Linnea, who introduced the item, said staff selected Recreation Technologies following reference checks and meetings with the city’s IT and finance teams. Linnea said the vendor demonstrated mobile-first registration features, instructor portals, membership capabilities, automated wait lists, and a FastTrack feature that lets residents prefill forms ahead of high-demand registration days.

Recreation staff outlined a four-phase implementation: discovery and planning, configuration and data transfer from CivicRec, staff training, and community outreach and testing. The city’s estimate for the vendor’s recurring cost is $54,000 per year for the proposed four-year term. Staff confirmed the contract total of $231,000 includes the $15,000 implementation fee.

Commission discussion centered on cost, training and operational impacts. One commissioner asked whether the city or program participants would bear the recurring cost; staff said the annual fee would be covered from general fund dollars and that fee changes for classes would require a separate subsidy or fee study. Commissioners also asked about credit-card processing fees; staff said those fees are passed through by the vendor and not absorbed as vendor margin.

Questions on staffing and training noted high turnover at some front-desk positions. Linnea said recreation software concepts are similar across platforms and staff pick them up “relatively quickly,” and that the new system should reduce current workarounds that now require manual adjustments.

The commission voted to execute the contract (motion moved by the Chair; seconded by another commissioner) and separately approved $6,310 in optional startup costs for point-of-sale terminals and updated facility signage, also by voice vote (4-0). Staff noted that the terminals are estimated at about $350 each and that the signage would include QR codes and facility identifiers.

Votes at a glance
- Execute contract with Recreation Technologies for a four-year term, $231,000 (includes $15,000 implementation): Approved 4-0.
- Approve optional signage and point-of-sale hardware: $6,310 — Approved 4-0.

What happens next
Staff will proceed with the implementation steps outlined in the presentation: data transfer, staff training and community testing. Commission members asked staff to document expected personnel/time savings ahead of any presentation to council so the city can quantify operational benefits.

Direct quotes from the meeting include staff’s description of the vendor recommendation: “we respectfully request the Commission’s support in approving this much needed advancement for our department and the residents we serve,” and a commissioner moving the contract: “I mean, I’ll make the motion if nobody else will.”