Staff tells parks advisory board 2027 fee changes will go to county council; board will only recommend

Parks and Recreation staff told the Beaufort County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board that a proposed 2027 fee schedule and an accompanying ordinance will change who sets final fees: the board will continue to make recommendations, but elected county officials will have the authority to approve fee changes.

Ashley, assistant athletic manager, explained the rule change and the practical effect: "You guys still give recommendation, but the ultimate change comes from our elected officials," Ashley said. Staff said the board has not approved a fee schedule since about 2012 and the proposed updates cover programming, sports and facility fees.

Board members asked how out-of-county fees are handled and whether some fields (particularly school or county fields) could be charged hourly rather than a flat event rate. One member described the current practice as charging a flat event fee — for example $300 — and asked whether an hourly option would make fields more accessible to groups needing a short rental.

Staff responded that event fees reflect staffing, maintenance and janitorial costs and that an apparent hourly rental sometimes translates into multiple hours of county staff time. "You have staff cost. You have maintenance. You have all those things to take into consideration," staff said in response to concerns about $300 event fees for short use.

Members expressed concern about fee increases, especially for families with multiple children who pay per participant; staff said the department researched comparable regional fees and aimed to keep rates reasonable while covering rising costs for uniforms, fuel and utilities. Board members agreed they should continue to provide input to staff on fee-level and budget implications even though final approval will rest with council.

Staff said the recommendation process will continue and that the proposed 2027 fee changes will be presented to the county’s elected officials for action. The board discussed next steps and asked staff for continued dialogue on fees and any comparative analyses used to set proposed rates.