Title
Introduction and Preliminary Overview of Potential Recreation and Park User Fee Adjustments for Calendar Year 2027. (Recreation and Parks 10051400)
Body
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Recreation and Park Commission
From: Justin Long, Recreation and Parks Director
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Alameda (City) Recreation and Parks Department (ARPD) annually reviews its user fees for implementation on January 1 of the following year. This report is intended to begin the discussion of potential Calendar Year 2027 fee adjustments and provide the Recreation and Parks Commission with an overview of the areas staff expects to evaluate. No fee changes are being requested for approval at this meeting.
Staff will continue its analysis of program and facility costs, market comparisons, cost recovery, and community access, and will return to the Commission before the end of 2026 with the proposed 2027 Recreation and Park User Fee Schedule for review and recommendation to City Council.
BACKGROUND
On January 22, 1992, City Council adopted Resolution Number 12191, codifying fees for services into a Citywide fee schedule (Fee Schedule). The Fee Schedule is updated each year, via resolution, to reflect changes in the cost of providing services as well as changes in the Consumer Price Index for the San Francisco Bay Area.
Recreation and Park User Fees are reviewed annually by the Recreation and Parks Commission, with the Commission's recommendation brought forward to City Council for final approval. As part of this process, ARPD reviews current operating costs, historical fee levels, and comparable fees charged by other local jurisdictions and similar rental venues.
The Citywide Fee Schedule is generally updated as part of the annual budget process on July 1. Due to ARPD registration and summer program planning occur earlier, Recreation and Park User Fees are typically considered on a separate schedule with most changes implemented January 1. School-year program fees may have a later implementation date to coincide with the start of the school year.
DISCUSSION
ARPD program and rental fees are structured to recover a portion of both direct costs, such as staffing, facility maintenance, supplies, utilities, instructors, and officials, and indirect costs, including administrative support. The fee structure also considers the broader community benefit of each service. Programs that provide broad community access or serve priority populations may have lower cost recovery expectations, while services that provide a more individual or exclusive benefit may have higher cost recovery expectations.
For 2027, staff are beginning a preliminary review of the full fee schedule. The categories below represent the primary areas that may warrant adjustment or further analysis. Inclusion in this overview does not mean that every fee within a category will increase; staff may recommend maintaining, restructuring, adding, or adjusting individual fees based on the results of the review.
Preliminary Areas for 2027 Review
General Annual Adjustments: Review existing fees for changes in staffing, utilities, supplies, maintenance, CPI, and local market conditions. Modest annual adjustments may be recommended where appropriate.
Aquatic Fees: Review pool lane rental and related aquatic fees, including phasing toward market rates and current operating costs.
Athletic Fields, Gyms, and Adult Sports: Evaluate field and synthetic turf rentals, field lighting and preparation, gym use, adult sports, and tournament fees based on maintenance, staffing, utilities, and officiating costs.
Park, Picnic, and Facility Rentals: Picnic, O'Club, Mastick Senior Center, deposit, and custodial fees for alignment with operating and administrative costs.
Classes, Camps, and Youth and Senior Programs: Evaluate class, camp, youth, and senior program fees and administrative fees while balancing cost recovery with affordability and community access.
Administrative, Storage, and Equipment Fees: Review storage, clean-up, deposit, equipment rental, and related administrative fees based on the staff time and resources required.
New or Revised Services: Identify new program, rental, facility, or equipment fees and opportunities to consolidate, clarify, or restructure existing charges.
Next Steps
Over the next several months, staff will update 2027 costs and operating assumptions, market comparisons, and cost recovery analysis. Proposed changes will be shared with affected user groups for feedback before returning to the Commission.
Before the end of 2026, staff will return with a detailed schedule showing current and proposed fees, the basis for material changes, and anticipated financial impacts. The Commission will then be asked to make a recommendation to City Council before implementation of the 2027 fees.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no immediate financial impact associated with receiving this preliminary overview. Specific 2027 fee recommendations will be evaluated based on program costs, anticipated revenues, cost recovery goals, and the level of General Fund support needed to maintain service levels, with the fiscal impacts presented in the detailed report later this year.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the Alameda Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Receiving this preliminary overview is not a project and no additional environmental review is required under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The future consideration of recreation and park fees involves governmental fiscal activities and does not, by itself, commit the City to a specific project that may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment. CEQA Guidelines, Section 15378(b)(4).
CLIMATE IMPACT
There are no identifiable climate impacts associated with this report.
RECOMMENDATION
Receive the preliminary overview of potential Calendar Year 2027 Recreation and Park User Fee adjustments and provide feedback on areas for further analysis. Staff will return before the end of 2026 with a detailed proposed fee schedule for Commission review and recommendation prior to City Council consideration.
Respectfully submitted,
Justin Long, Recreation and Parks Director