Parks staff propose reduced 5K rental tier to help local booster clubs

Parks staff presented a proposal on March 19 to create a reduced-rate tier for school-registered booster clubs that want to host 5K events at Cauley Creek and Newtown Park, saying the existing resident/nonprofit and nonresident/for-profit rates are sometimes cost-prohibitive for school groups.

Erica, the parks director, said the reduced tier would mirror surrounding communities’ pricing while lowering the burden for school booster clubs. The department suggested a starting discounted rate of $1,000 (half of a typical base rate), but Erica said some a la carte costs—police, maintenance, and other event-specific fees—would still apply. She offered to return with more detailed cost information and noted the department did not perform a formal cost-benefit analysis when it initially set rates.

Committee members largely supported the idea as a way to promote school fundraising and increase access for youth events. One member pointed out that booster clubs often cannot use their own school facilities without paying similar charges, and another asked whether additional reductions (e.g., $500) or internal scholarships might be possible to lower barriers for small groups.

Erica emphasized RPAC’s role as a recommending body: staff will incorporate committee feedback in a memo to city council, which will make the final decision and could set a different fee.

Next steps: staff will gather cost estimates for running 5K events (police, maintenance), refine the proposed reduced rate, and forward a recommendation to council; RPAC did not take a formal vote on the fee structure at this meeting.