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Riverbank staff to present facility fee-waiver report to council after committee review
Summary
Director Michael Patton briefed the committee July 15 on FY25-26 facility fee-waiver applications: staff reviewed ten community requests, denied one closed-door youth-sports event, and will present the summary and any recommendations to City Council on July 28; Patton also described the waiver application limits and appeal process.
Parks and Recreation Director Michael Patton told the advisory committee on July 15 that staff reviewed 10 applications for facility fee waivers this fiscal year and approved all but one.
Patton said the city's policy allows staff to waive fees for local organizations hosting events in city facilities and requires that fee-waiver-funded events be open to the public. He told the committee the one denied request was from a local youth-sports organization seeking a closed award ceremony; staff denied that request because the event was not open to the public, and the organization paid the fee.
Patton said staff will present the annual report, including the list of applicants, approvals, denials and the dollar value of waivers, to City Council on July 28 and noted the policy is scheduled for review in three years. He described the administrative process: applications are reviewed by staff and the director may approve or deny; denials can be appealed to City Council. He also said organizations may request up to two fee waivers per fiscal year; any additional requests must go to council.
During the presentation Patton stated two numerical figures that appear inconsistent in the transcript record: he said staff are "approved to waive up to $7,500 worth of fees for the fiscal year" and later said "we waived $66,710," leaving an apparent remaining balance mentioned in the report. The committee discussion did not resolve that discrepancy; the transcript does not include an explanatory clarification by staff. The committee did not advance any policy changes at the meeting and Patton said he had no recommendation to alter the policy at this time.
Patton invited questions from committee members about whether parks and sports facilities qualify for waivers (he confirmed rentable facilities such as community centers, scout halls, the sports complex and park gazebos are included). He reiterated that if staff exhaust the director's waiver authority, subsequent requests must be taken to City Council for approval.
The committee will have an opportunity to provide input to council at the July 28 presentation; Patton asked the advisory committee to surface any suggestions for possible future policy changes ahead of that meeting.
