Residents tell council nonprofits were not properly notified and warn community-center fee hikes could force fundraisers out

Multiple residents used the public-comment portion of the May 11 meeting to press the council for clearer notice and to urge moderation on proposed rental-rate increases for nonprofit events.

Sue Means (who had spoken previously) said she asked three questions about proposed changes to nonprofit use of the municipal building and received no written policy or notification of other nonprofits. "It was a train wreck," Means said of the prior meeting where she said a vote was taken without clear written agenda text; she urged the council to clarify what a yes or no vote meant and to identify who voted for motions. The chair apologized for any confusion and said staff would follow up.

Sandy Dimas, representing the Bethel Park Alliance Club, said the group's largest fundraiser has been held at the community center for decades and that rental costs had increased from $425 in 2025 to $546 in 2026. Dimas said she had heard a proposed 2027 rate of $1,485 for the same space — an increase she described as untenable — and asked the council to consider a smaller increase (she suggested about 10%).

Council members and municipal staff said staff had been asked to "sharpen their pencil" and bring revised proposals to future meetings; the chair said he would follow up and staff offered to meet with individual residents after the session and show submitted plans or rate proposals.

Provenance: Residents' comments and the council's responses are recorded in the non-agenda and planning-and-zoning public-comment segments of the May 11 transcript.