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Culture and Leisure Board approves first reading of comprehensive facility fee schedule, sends recommendation to City Council
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Summary
The Culture and Leisure Board approved a first-reading recommendation of a consolidated facility fee schedule and will forward it to the City Council for final action; the move separates gym/basic memberships from court passes and leaves insurance-contract questions for council review.
The Culture and Leisure Board of the City of Cape Canaveral voted at its March 26 meeting to approve, on first reading, a department-wide facility fee schedule and forward the recommendation to the City Council for consideration.
Director Molly Thomas presented a consolidated fee schedule that would replace decades of piecemeal rates for facility rentals, court passes and memberships across the C5 Building, Nancy Hansen Recreation Center and city parks. Thomas told the board the structure is intended to make pricing clearer for residents and nonresidents, improve revenue tracking and allow targeted discounts for groups such as military and first responders.
The schedule separates ‘‘basic’’ gym membership access from court passes and daily court fees. Thomas said the split is necessary because third‑party health programs such as SilverSneakers now provide free gym access for some users, complicating how the city tracks and charges for court use. “If we implement this, that problem is solved,” Thomas said, describing software and staffing changes to record which facility a patron uses.
Board members debated timing and dependencies. Several members urged sending the schedule to council now as a first reading while the council finalizes its review of insurance contracts with third‑party providers; others said council action on those contracts could affect the final numbers. Thomas said the vendor contracts appeared non‑negotiable in early outreach and recommended the fee structure proceed so staff and council could assess impacts before the new fiscal year.
After amendments clarifying that resident minors have free daily access and adding the C5 game/activity room to the rental pages (proposed rental rate $25/hour; $35 nonresident), the board voted to approve the schedule as a first reading. The board directed staff to place the item on a council agenda in April if possible, but no later than May.
The motion was made and seconded on the floor and approved by the assembled board. Staff will return with finalized numbers and any attorney guidance about contract terms and charging authorities before council consideration.
