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Receive a Presentation on Parks, Recreation & Community Services Charges and Fees and Provide Feedback
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Meeting Date: May 6, 2025
Contact Person/Dept: James Lambert/Finance Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-5865
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - Audit, Financial Planning, and Budget Subcommittee (05/01/2025)
Departmental Approval: Lisa Soghor, Chief Financial Officer (05/01/2025)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Audit, Financial Planning, and Budget Subcommittee receive a presentation on the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services charges and fees and provide feedback.
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
On October 3, 2024, the Audit, Financial Planning, and Budget Subcommittee received a report on the City’s Draft User Fee Study. The study was designed to serve as the basis for the City’s proposed fee schedule update. Due to the nature of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services (PRCS) programs and services and the need for the City to adopt an updated fee schedule, it was determined that PRCS would undertake a separate, robust process to review all its programs and develop policy recommendations for cost recovery and cost subsidy for all the various PRCS program offerings while the City proceeded with implementing fee updates for all the other City departments.
On January 13, 2025, the City Council held a public hearing and adopted the Comprehensive Fee Schedule for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 including the previously established PRCS fees. On April 28, 2025, the City Council held a public hearing and adopted a Consumer Price Index (CPI) update to the Comprehensive Fee Schedule for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. Over the last several months, PRCS staff has been carefully reviewing its programs and fees and analyzing the various policy considerations. Adam Ferguson, PRCS Senior Management Analyst, will give a presentation on the Department’s analysis and proposed methodology to balance policy goals with cost considerations.
On April 9, 2025, Senior Management Analyst Ferguson gave a presentation to the Finance Advisory Committee (FAC). The FAC commended the work that PRCS had done and recommended that PRCS staff reexamine the classification and fees proposed for certain select programs such as the teen center and senior pool in recognition of the population they serve, investigate a separate subsidy or program for lower income residents, look at revenue projections based on Fiscal Year 2023-2024 totals if the new methodology had been in place, explore increasing the resident subsidy, take a closer look at the top revenue generating programs, and explore outside funding such as grants or donations; and reevaluate their fees annually.
On April 17, 2025, Senior Management Analyst Ferguson presented to the PRCS Commission. The PRCS Commission unanimously supported the approach and transparency that PRCS is taking towards reviewing its programs and fees and analyzing the various policy considerations. The PRCS Commission raised concerns with specific costs to teen programs and aquatic programs. A discussion ensued between the Commissioners on the effects a larger subsidy for residents has on the department’s cost recovery goals. A Community Meeting is planned for May 1, 2025. Senior Management Analyst Ferguson will discuss the feedback received from the community meeting during the presentation.
Staff recommends that the Audit, Financial Planning, and Budget Subcommittee receive the presentation and provide feedback on the proposed methodology.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
MOTION
None.