Fee hikes considered for Carson City rec facilities

The Parks and Recreation Commission on Tuesday reviewed a new proposed fee schedule for Carson City facilities.

The item was the start of a discussion that will continue at the next meeting in April before the commission makes its recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.

Fees for Carson City recreation venues have not changed since 2009 while charges at the Lone Mountain Cemetery, which is managed by the parks and rec department, have not changed since 1989, according to Jennifer Budge, the department’s director.

“It’s been a long time since fees have had a hard look,” she said.

Proposed increases for some of the city’s more popular activities include raising youth drop-in at the pool and at the Multi-purpose Athletic Center from $3 to $3.50; adult 10-punch pool or MAC pass from $30 to $35; and youth sports from $60 to $70 per player.

Fees for adult volleyball and softball may drop and new package options may be introduced, including family options for the pool ranging from $14 drop-in for four individuals to $599 for an annual membership for residents only. Also, fees for the weight room at the pool are being proposed, ranging from $3 for drop in to $199 annual membership for residents.

The department also plans to implement the same fees at Governors Field and Pete Livermore Sports Complex that are used at JohnD Winters Centennial Park.

Supervisor Lori Bagwell, who sits on the commission, asked the department to redo some of the cemetery fees which she found to be too onerous.

The new fees are based primarily on a comparison study of 22 neighboring agencies, including facilities in Reno, Sparks and Churchill, Douglas and Washoe counties.

The commission also looked at the staff’s recommendations for capital improvements in fiscal year 2021, which will be presented to the supervisors during the budget process in April and May.

The department is hoping to fund $2.12 million, but staff prioritized projects understanding the final budget may be less.

Among the priorities to be funded by the general fund are continued upgrades to the cemetery’s irrigation system, security cameras for parks to deter vandalism, a fee kiosk at the Carson Rifle and Pistol Range, and playground upgrades.

Money from other sources, including the Quality of Life and redevelopment funds as well as the residential construction tax, is earmarked for resurfacing of sports courts such as tennis and pickleball, repaving the MAC parking lot, and building a maintenance shop at Mills Park for city crews, among other projects.