Parks director presents cost‑recovery analysis as staff prepare 2025 budget

J.C. Kennedy, Parks & Recreation director, presented an overview of a Cost Recovery and Cost of Service analysis the department is preparing for City Council ahead of the 2025 budget cycle. The analysis adapts GreenPlay LLC’s Cost Recovery Pyramid Methodology to categorize programs and services by who benefits and appropriate cost recovery levels.

Kennedy said the department has been asked to reduce expenses for the 2025 budget and align recurring costs with recurring revenue sources. He described the GreenPlay approach as a framework to help define target cost recovery levels across five program/service tiers and to inform fee and subsidy decisions.

Kennedy also briefed the board on membership and facility use trends: April 2024 membership was 1,249 and May 2024 membership 1,208; staff reported 13,910 paid members to date through May, about 3,011 more than Jan–May 2023, which staff cited as evidence that facility use is increasing even as monthly membership counts fluctuate.

Board members acknowledged the presentation; no formal direction beyond the department’s charge to reduce budgeted expenses was recorded in the minutes. Staff will use the Cost Recovery document to inform recommendations to City Council.