Parks And Rec Fees For Programs Increased

October 15, 2010 by Josh Morgan

Residents looking to sign up for Cheshire Parks and Recreation programming will be paying a little bit more in the future as, on Tuesday night, the Cheshire Town Council increased fees across the board.
Per the recommendation of Parks Director Bob Ceccolini and the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Council approved an increase that raises fees in all areas of Parks programming. The only fees left unchanged were seasonal, annual, and daily passes for the Community Pool.
"It's a reasonable increase," Ceccolini said, noting that most programs are increasing by $5 or $10. "Everything is going up. It's been about three years since the last increase."
Ceccolini said that, historically, residents have been understanding of the minor increases because they recognize that, every few years, the cost of business increases. Ceccolini explained that program materials, supplies, utilities, and instructor costs have increased the past few years.
Lesson fees at the Community Pool are increasing from $65 to $70 for one day a week and, for two days a week, it is increasing from $80 to $100 for residents with pool passes. For those without a pool pass, the rate is increasing from $75 to $80. Pool rental fees for birthday parties increased from $100 to $110 for residents with a pool pass and from $120 to $130 without a pool pass. The fees are higher for nonresidents across the board as well.
Also, fees charged to the swim teams for use of the facility are increasing by $5 per hour and exercise class fees are increasing by $5 a participant as well. The increased fees at the pool could generate an additional $11,000 in revenue if participation remains the same, Ceccolini stated.
"We periodically increase the fees, "explained Budget Committee Chairman David Schrumm. "These are going up a small amount."
Additionally, fees for other Parks and Recreation programs such as day camps, sports camps, and recreation sports, among other activities, are increasing by $5 per participant. According to Ceccolini, the increased fees will raise an additional $25,000 if participation doesn't drop off from the current level.
While the fee increases were approved, not all members of the Council supported the recommendation. Republican Councilor Tim White said that, in this economy, he was not "comfortable raising fees." Additionally, Democrat Michael Ecke did not support the fee increase, which was passed by a 6-2 margin.
Republican James Sima expressed a concern that the gap in fees that residents and non-residents pay is getting "smaller and smaller." Sima agreed with White's assessment that raising fees in a bad economy "is not a great thing," but with the increased costs of doing business, it wasn't fair to pass that burden onto the taxpayers.
"We have increased costs and we need to pass it off to the people who use it," Sima said.
Republican Councilor Anne Giddings agreed, saying the fee increase was not a tax, it was a user fee and would only affect those who enroll in the programs.
The new rates, as adopted, will go into effect for the next season, which begins this winter, Ceccolini explained. "This increase seems very reasonable to help cover expenses," he said.