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Panama City approves membership, rental fees for MLK Rec Center; asks staff to design sliding-scale process
Summary
The commission approved a revised fee schedule for the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center and directed staff to develop a sliding-scale/scholarship implementation plan and verification process; the plan includes discounts for 18–21 year olds, military/disabled, and a Golden Senior membership.
The Panama City Commission on Feb. 10 approved a revised membership and rental fee schedule for the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center and directed staff to implement scholarship and sliding-scale mechanisms.
Staff highlighted community input gathered at a town hall and follow-up meetings organized by the NAACP and other stakeholders. The revised schedule reduces membership costs for ages 18–21 and provides discounts for nonresident young adults; it also establishes a Golden Senior membership for residents age 70 and older. Staff said a scholarship fund administered through the Panama City Community Fund will be available for residents who cannot pay.
Commissioners discussed whether staff should verify incomes directly or whether a volunteer/advisory board or staff person at city hall should process sliding-scale applications. “There are different levels that we can do,” said Keith Myrell, director of Parks, Culture & Recreation, noting options such as free-and-reduced lunch status or other simple verification methods. The commission approved the fee schedule and scholarship direction and asked staff to return procedures for the sliding-scale implementation and verification.
The motion passed unanimously. Commissioners said they expect the program to be iterative and to be refined as staff monitors membership and event revenues over the coming months.
