Parks commission forwards proposed increases to user, practice and reservation fees to city council

Parks and Recreation Commission members voted to forward recommended updates to park user fees, practice-field reservation fees and reservation rates to the Roseburg City Council for inclusion in the city fee schedule.

Parks staff told the commission that organized-user per-player fees for athletic fields had not been updated since 2015 and park reservation fees since 2009. Staff cited a 30.13% rise in the consumer price index since the last adjustments and estimated athletic-field maintenance costs of about $425,000 per year. In 2023 the city collected $38,689 in user fees for organized groups, staff said.

To narrow the gap, staff proposed raising per-player fees from the current $12 (resident) / $15 (nonresident) to $15 (resident) / $18 (nonresident). Using the participation figures presented, staff estimated those changes would raise projected revenue from roughly $38,689 to about $47,880 (an increase of approximately $7,000). Staff also presented scenarios for practice-field reservation fees (current example: $100 per season) and for reservation/pavilion fees, proposing a roughly 20% increase that staff estimated would have generated roughly $1,800 more on 2023 reservation volumes.

Commissioners asked for clarification on how teams collect and report roster data, how rosters determine residency, and why some city facilities (for example, the golf course and tennis center) operate under separate lease arrangements and charge different amounts. Staff explained rosters include player names and addresses to determine city residency and that leased facilities are managed under distinct agreements that include their own fees and maintenance responsibilities.

A commissioner moved to forward the fee changes shown in Attachments A, B and C to City Council for consideration; the motion was seconded and, according to the meeting transcript, the motion carried. Staff noted any effective date for the changes would be specified in the Council resolution and that the recommended fee schedule changes would not start until the next fiscal/calendar implementation period.

What happens next: the commission’s recommendation will go to City Council for a formal decision and resolution defining the effective date and any exceptions for low-income or community groups.