Parks board holds line on most fees

"We need to take the economy into consideration when we're setting the fees. We can afford $1 more to do something, but a lot of people only get $600 or $700 on Social Security to live on," Jeff Post, parks board president, told the board during a recent meeting when they looked over the fees to charge during 2010 for using various city facilities.

"We've got to keep that in consideration," he said.

That philosophy applies to all city facilities, including the Frank E. Peters Municipal Golf Course.

"We're not a country club. We don't have the amenities of a country club. We're a public golf course and we have to offer the best bang for the buck," Post said.

"We can take the Sam Walton approach and keep the fees down and get them back a second time, or raise the fees and get it all at once," he said.

"It's a lot different from last year when we were looking at the fee structure," he said.

Ray Crawford, golf course manager, told the parks board that despite the wet weather this year, paid rounds of golf at the city's course are on track to exceed 2008.

In 2008, there were 3,460 paid rounds of golf played and so far this year there have been 3379 rounds played.

"We only need 81 golfers in two months," Crawford said.

Although the course still needs to increase its revenue, he told the board that raising the rates does not mean that the revenue will increase.

"In 2006 we raised the rates and lost almost 1,500 rounds," he said.

Crawford told the board that he has several ideas to increase play at the course, like establishing a winter rate for the course.

"You are not playing the same course as when it's warm," he said.

He suggested that they set the rate at $12 for any day, instead of the current $15.

"In the winter we average 150 golfers per month," Crawford said in response to a question.

He told the board that he would also like to establish an annual family rate of $1,200 with a cart and $700 with no cart, with children playing free.

This is $70 off the regular price.

Crawford told the board that he would like to establish several other special rates: a college rate of $150 with a college ID to play all summer and a military rate of $10 per round with a military ID.

"With Camp Clark it's a must. They are planning on doing something big with an encampment this summer," he said.

Crawford said that he would also like to change the prices they charge for range balls to have three sizes: $3 for a small bucket, $5 for a medium bucket and $7.

"I think this will increase revenue on the driving range by $3,000 to $5,000.

He said that he would also like to add a tournament cancellation fee if a tournament is canceled within seven days of the scheduled date, to encourage organizations to not wait until the last minute to cancel a tournament.

He said this would give him time to let golfers know the course will be open, instead of closed for a tournament.

In response to Crawford's suggestions and their own discussion the board voted 6-0 to recommend to the city council that the fees at the golf course should be modified as follows:

* Establish a winter rate from Nov. 1 to March 1 of $12 for any day with a senior rate of $10 per day.

* Establish a family rate of $700 without a cart and $1,200 with one cart to include two adults and children 18 and under in the immediate family.

* Lower the golf cart rental fees from $20 to $18 for 18 holes and from $12 to $10 for nine holes.

* Adjust the fee for range balls to increase the price for a small bucket from $2 to $3 and a large bucket from $4 to $7 and add a medium bucket for $5.

* Establish a college summer pass of $150 with a college ID.

* Establish a military rate of $10 per day anytime with a military ID.

* Establish a tournament cancellation fee, plus a $100, non-refundable fee to secure a tournament date. There would be a 50 percent cancellation fee if a tournament is cancelled 10 days or less frorm the tournament date.

* Add a $100 per day fee to provide outside food for a tournament.

Parks and recreation director Robin McHugh said that the park board decided to leave all other parks and recreation fees, including those for renting the Community Center and Walton Family Aquatic Center admission the same as they were in 2009.