Murrysville council votes to advertise updated fee ordinance including park, facility and field rental increases

Murrysville — The borough council voted unanimously to advertise ordinance 1096-24, a staff-proposed update to the municipal fee schedule that would raise several park, facility and field rental charges and add a $100 police blood-draw fee.

Staff presented the changes as an effort to align long-unchanged fees with current costs. "The update to the fee ordinance revolved around the cost for police blood work testing that has to be done. That's a $100 cost to the municipality, and that fee should be paid by the individual that receives the testing," said Mister Nistica, the staff member presenting the proposal. He said the blood-draw charge would be added to the ordinance in a similar manner to an existing breathalyzer fee.

Beyond the police testing fee, staff proposed a set of facility rental adjustments: an across-the-board $25 increase for residents and $50 for nonresidents at pavilion/gazebo rentals; an increase in the alcohol permit fee at the community center and clubhouse from $50 to $100; and higher hourly rates for the clubhouse (proposed rise from $25 to $50 per hour for residents and $40 to $75 for nonresidents). Staff also recommended eliminating a "beyond 4 hour" flat rate at the community center to discourage overbooking and better reflect actual utility and cleanup costs.

On athletic fields, staff proposed a 20% increase in rental fees. Using the Franklin Regional Amateur Athletics example, staff said field-related revenue of roughly $13,000 in 2024 would rise to about $15,000 under the proposal, and that borough-wide field revenue would move from about $38,000 to $45,000—a roughly $7,600 increase. "Because the fees are so low to begin with, a 20% increase is not as substantial when you use that example," Mister Nistica said, adding that field fees have not been changed in roughly 12–15 years.

Councilmembers asked for additional detail comparing proposed revenue with the actual cost of maintaining parks and fields. "For the next meeting, is there anything we can look at for expenses? This is revenue—what are our expenses?" Councilmember Jason asked. Mister Nistica agreed to provide an expense comparison at the next meeting.

Councilmember Jason moved to advertise ordinance 1096-24 for public notice; the motion was seconded and approved unanimously. Advertising does not adopt the ordinance; it initiates the public-notice period and sets the item for future consideration.

Council next steps: staff will prepare an expense breakdown to accompany the advertised ordinance, and council will consider the ordinance for adoption at a later meeting following the required advertisement and any public comment.