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Museums director: private tour base fee set at $100; online booking and school rate added
Summary
City museum staff told the commission they raised private-tour fees to $100 for up to four people (effective July 1), added a $100 school rate, created an online booking form to improve reservations, and proposed a $250-per-hour booking fee pending city policy and attorney review.
Brian Edwards, library and museums staff, told the Monterey Museums & Cultural Arts Commission that council approved changes to the museum tour fee schedule intended to improve cost recovery and streamline bookings. "We have increased the base tour fee to $100 for four people as of July 1," Edwards said, and staff also set a $100 school fee. He said public hours remain free; the new charges apply to scheduled private tours at sites such as Pacific Biological Laboratories, the Presidio Monterey Museum and Colton Hall.
Edwards and assistant library director Melissa Mahia said an online “book a tour” page has made it easier for schools and private groups to reserve visits and pay by credit card or check. Staff reported current activity levels this month include multiple Pacific Biological Laboratories tours, several Colton Hall tours and a small number of Presidio Monterey Museum tours; Edwards said the online form and clearer process have increased bookings.
Commissioners asked whether the fees cover maintenance and long-term costs. Edwards said the fee calculations use fully loaded staff salary and benefits to estimate an hourly cost — not separate maintenance line items — and that routine facility maintenance is handled through public works rather than the museum operating budget. "There is no specific maintenance line in our museum budget; maintenance for sites like Pacific Biological Laboratories and Colton Hall is typically minimal unless a larger capital project is required," he said.
The commission also discussed third-party ticketing platforms. Edwards warned that outside vendors can take substantial convenience fees and that any arrangement would require negotiation; he said a potential $250-per-hour booking fee is included in the fee schedule but would only be put into effect after the city attorney reviews a policy and staff return with procedures. No formal vote on the fee-policy paperwork was taken; staff will return with a draft policy and any required council actions.
