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Commissioners adopt parks fee schedule with $0 turf rental for youth athletic associations
Summary
Barrow County commissioners approved the FY2025 parks and recreation fee schedule with prorated midseason fees and a $0 turf-rental rate for youth athletic associations; the $500 concession-stand rental remains in the schedule while staff will pursue concessionaire and partnership options.
The Barrow County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 27 approved the county's FY2025 parks and recreation fee schedule, including a provision to prorate fees for sports currently midseason and to set artificial-turf rental at $0 for youth athletic associations.
County Manager (S8) and Parks staff (S4) told the board the revisions are intended to refine budget estimates and move operations closer to revenue neutrality; staff noted current user fees cover less than 17% of park operating costs and may drop near 15% after changes. Commissioner S3 moved the final language, which the chair (S1) read before the board voted to adopt the schedule.
Public commenter Richard Reid (S6), who coaches and runs concessions for local teams, told the board that a $500 concession-stand rental would “completely remove that program” for volunteer-run youth groups and urged the board to modify or waive concession fees for YAAs. Reid also said rising turf and concession fees risk pricing local children out of organized sports.
Parks staff (S4) and multiple commissioners discussed options to mitigate lost revenue, including awarding a county RFP concessionaire who could operate stands and share revenue with youth groups, allowing third‑party concession operators, or negotiating addenda to an imminent RFP award to address a single concession stand not already covered. Staff also said prorating will be calculated on the time remaining in a season rather than imposing midseason rate changes in full.
The motion carried after a brief procedural dispute over a motion to call the question; the board instructed staff to update the Youth Athletic Association partnership agreement to include guidelines for concession-stand usage and compliance with fire codes. Staff will return with contract/RFP details and partnership-language options for implementation.
