Hermosa Beach commissioners approve modest increase for Valley Park day camp; residents remain majority of attendees

The Hermosa Beach Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission on June 2 approved a staff proposal to increase weekly Valley Park Day Camp fees to $255 for residents and $275 for non‑residents.

Nick Shadik, recreation coordinator, said current fees had not been updated since at least 2012 and that comparable programs in Redondo and Manhattan Beach charge between $250 and $329 per week. “Based on current market conditions and program operations, staff recommends increasing weekly registration fees to $255 for residents and $275 per week for non‑residents,” he told the commission.

Shadik described the camp’s programming—games, themed events, beach days and weekly field trips—and noted rising field‑trip costs and transportation expenses. He reported that approximately 83% of current registrants are Hermosa Beach residents and that the city reserves resident pricing; staff said they did not recommend creating an early registration window for residents at this time.

Commissioners and public speakers expressed support for the program and suggested modest measures to ease the transition for families, including installment payment options and continued scholarship availability. The commission voted 5‑0 to recommend the fee update to city council.

Next steps: Staff will correct a minor staff‑report typo about the non‑resident rate before forwarding to city council, continue monitoring registration and consider online payment and installment options to ease family budgeting.