Park Board approves forwarding comprehensive facility‑fee updates to City Council

Park Department staff presented a package of facility‑fee revisions aimed at simplifying rental rates and lowering deposit requirements for many venues. Speaker 2 described consolidating multiple auditorium price tiers into a single three‑day rental rate ($550) and lowering damage deposits (from $500 to $200 in many cases), removing some package options and lowering weekday deposit amounts.

The staff presentation covered multiple venues: auditorium main and lower levels, gym/level packages, amphitheater, Motorsports Arena rentals (described in staff materials as $1,500 for the first day, $500 for subsequent days and a $1,000 damage deposit for a newly rent‑able portion), Lions Lake pavilions, the Fairgrounds pavilion and Swine Pavilion, and farmers market permits. Several pavilion deposits were reduced (examples in staff comments: 500→200; Optimist reduced to 100; some small pavilions raised slightly from $50 to $75 with a $50 damage deposit).

Board members asked operational questions about cleaning responsibility, whether staff time covers clean up after events, and the use of reservation permits placed in pavilion holders. Staff said the renter remains responsible for removing decorations and that staff will continue basic cleaning (restroom/floor picking up trash). The board moved and seconded a motion to forward the fee schedule to City Council; the motion carried on a voice vote with no roll call tally shown in the transcript.

Staff said they had already implemented some pricing changes on the website earlier in the year and will send the updated fee document to the council for formal adoption.