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Yelm considers tiered Elm City Park rental fees and reviews beautification grant recommendations
Summary
Planning staff outlined a tiered fee structure for park events (including a $500 beer‑garden surcharge to cover policing) and presented committee recommendations for beautification grants (six applications received; awards to be decided next week and paid by reimbursement). Councilors questioned eligibility and whether grants should cover maintenance vs. beautification.
Staff presented two community‑facing items: a proposed tiered event fee schedule for Elm City Park and the beautification grant committee’s recommended awards.
On the park fees, the presenter said the city is moving from a flat‑rate model to a tiered schedule that accounts for event length and attendance. For example, staff described base rates by attendance brackets and noted that additional services (security, use of the community center) would add costs. "If they add a beer garden, it's gonna be, $500 for the beer garden, and that's to cover police staffing," the presenter said.
Councilors asked whether tables, chairs and partitions were included in the rental and whether local residents would receive discounts; staff said community center rentals include tables and chairs and that park pick‑up use remains first‑come, first‑served. Several councilors raised concerns about how the fee schedule would affect small, local gatherings and asked staff to provide clearer public guidance.
On beautification grants, staff summarized the program (adopted by resolution in 2022 with guideline updates in 2023), the application schedule and reimbursement rules. "We can award up to $5,000 for larger larger projects or first time grants. $2,500 for people who have previously received money," staff said, noting funds are paid on a reimbursement basis after the project is completed and verified by staff. Of six applications, one arrived after the deadline and one failed to meet criteria; the committee recommended funding the remainder (examples: community‑garden retaining walls, decorative parking‑lot lighting, a digital sign for American Legion/VFW, and an awning repair request for a historic building).
Councilors debated whether the program should pay for repairs or only improvements that count as beautification rather than maintenance. "Beautification originally was not for maintenance," one member observed; others argued historic buildings and small businesses contribute community value and that completion and verification before reimbursement provide a safeguard. Staff told council the committee’s recommendations will appear as separate action items on next week’s council agenda so council can vote on each grant individually.
Next steps: staff will place each recommended grant on next week’s agenda as separate action items and circulate the full application packet and program guidelines to council before that meeting.
