Title
Public Hearing to Consider Adoption of Resolution Amending Master Fee Resolution No. 12191 to Add and Revise Recreation and Park Aquatic Fees for Calendar Year 2026. (Recreation and Parks 10051400)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Adam W. Politzer, Interim City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Following City Council feedback on December 2, 2025, the Alameda Recreation and Parks Department (ARPD) revised its 2026 aquatic program fee recommendation with two key modifications: adjustment to bring lap swim, public swim, and private lesson program fees up to market rate and revising the pool lane rental fee structure.
BACKGROUND
On January 22, 1992, City Council adopted Resolution Number 12191, codifying all 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 in the Consumer Price Index for the San Francisco Bay Area.
Alameda Recreation and Parks Department (ARPD) presented recreation and park user fees to City Council on December 2, 2025, for calendar year 2026 staff report (2025-5551 <https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7759303&GUID=4204AB64-8F65-4310-855C-4C631A0EB55D&Options=ID|Text|&Search=fee>). Community feedback was shared, specifically from the Alameda Masters (Masters) program for adult swimmers, with concerns about fees being raised too quickly and the impact on their program viability. The Masters are charged based on the per lane rental structure as an Alameda based, adult organization. City Council directed staff to consider options for the Masters program fees, review all 2026 aquatic fees to identify any other revenue opportunities and return with an alternative fee proposal.
ARPD met with Alameda Aquatic Masters board members on December 18, 2025. Staff presented two alternative operational models intended to reduce total costs for the Masters program and its members with the goal to support long-term program sustainability. One option proposed transitioning the Masters program to a City-run model in which ARPD would assume responsibility for all operational costs, staffing, and administrative functions, while allowing the program to retain its U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) club identity. This option would have resulted in lower participant fees, including introduction of a senior discount rate, increased program stability, coaching continuity through City employment, and priority scheduling at the City managed aquatic facilities including the future Alameda Aquatics Center. This option also retained the Alameda Masters Advisory Committee to continue community input and support smooth program operations. The second option was based on ARPD’s private instructional class fee structure with a revenue split in which ARPD receives 60% of member fees revenues and the Masters program receives 40% of revenues. This approach was designed to reduce administrative responsibilities for the Masters while preserving autonomy over coaching decisions, internal operations, and member pricing. The model also offered predictable monthly revenue and shared facility usage.
The Alameda Aquatic Masters formally declined both operational options and wanted to continue its rental status and agreed with a 4.6% proposed fee increase as further described below.
DISCUSSION
ARPD staff reviewed all feedback from City Council and public comment regarding the proposed 2026 aquatic program fees. The focus was primarily on increases for pool lane rental fees; however other comments were to review additional program fees that may be below market rate. Staff conducted further analysis of the regional cost comparison (Exhibit 2) and recommends the fee changes as described in this staff report and included in the proposed aquatic program fee schedule (Exhibit 1).
The following fees were analyzed and are recommended to be increased to market rate with comparable cities. The fee ranges listed in the table below are for private resident and non-resident swim lessons.
|
Program |
Alameda 2025 Approved Fees |
Market Rate |
Proposed 2026 Fees |
Percent Change |
|
Private Swim Lesson Resident |
$45 |
$50 |
$50 |
11.5% |
|
Private Swim Lesson Non-resident |
$50 |
$55 |
$55 |
10% |
In 2025, ARPD implemented a pool rental fee structure based on a per lane per hour cost. In addition, pool rental fees already included an additional lifeguard cost to cover ARPD required costs to provide lifeguards for safety. These fees are approved by City Council annually. The rental fee structure change to a per lane cost provided ARPD with greater flexibility to maximize pool usage, however, it had the greatest impact on resident youth and adult swim teams. Following City Council direction, staff re-evaluated the fee structure for pool rentals to identify ways to reduce overall cost and move incrementally toward a rate comparable to local cities. ARPD proposes removing the lifeguard fee from the pool rental fee structure to reduce the overall cost on youth and adult swim teams.
The table below shows the 2025 weekly cost for current adult team usage based on an average use of six lanes for 15 hours per week. For non-resident youth and adult teams, the cost will vary by number of lanes and hours requested.
|
Swim Team |
Alameda 2025 Approved Fee |
Lifeguard Fee |
Weekly Total |
|
Adult Resident |
$7.75 per lane/hour |
$25 per hour |
$1,072.50 |
|
Youth Resident |
$5.00 per lane/hour |
$25 per hour |
$825 |
|
Non-Resident Youth |
$20 per lane/hour |
$25 |
Varies |
|
Non-Resident Adult |
$25 per lane/hour |
$25 per hour |
Varies |
The table below shows the proposed 2026 rental fees and weekly cost based on an average use of six lanes for 15 hours per week. For non-resident youth and adult teams, the cost will vary by number of lanes and hours requested.
|
Swim Team |
Alameda 2026 Proposed Fee |
Lifeguard Fee |
Weekly Total |
|
Adult Resident |
$12.50 per lane/hour |
No Charge |
$1,125 |
|
Youth Resident |
$9.50 per lane/hour |
No Charge |
$855 |
|
Non-Resident Youth |
$25 per lane/hour |
No Charge |
Varies |
|
Non-Resident Adult |
$30 per lane/hour |
No Charge |
Varies |
This revised 2026 proposal for pool rental fees is a 4.6% increase from 2025 for adult resident swim teams such as the Masters and an increase of 3.5% for youth resident teams. The proposed fee structure is designed to keep total Masters program costs lower while adjusting the per-lane rate to more closely align with the market. ARPD met and discussed the proposed fees with Masters leadership, and they agreed with the proposed 2026 fee increase.
With this change, the total proposed revenue from 2026 ARPD pool rentals would increase approximately 5% from 2025. However, given that staff and facility expenses continue to rise, this means less total revenue to offset those costs. Increases to other aquatic program fees, as outlined above, are expected to raise additional revenue by approximately $3,000 annually. As a result, there is an estimated net impact cost to the General Fund of approximately $15,000 in 2026.
At this time, no funding source has been identified to offset the projected revenue loss. If the proposed fee structure is approved, staff will likely return during the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget process to request General Fund support to address this impact.
ALTERNATIVES
• Approve the revised 2026 ARPD Aquatic User Fee Schedule as presented.
• Reduce the 2026 Adult Resident pool rental fee to $12 per lane per hour which will effectively keep the Masters and similar programs at the same weekly cost as the 2025 fee structure.
• Provide direction to adjust any of the proposed fees.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The 2026 pool rental fee proposal will reduce the aquatic revenue by an estimated $18,000 annually. The fee increase of programs identified as below market rate will offset the revenue loss by approximately $3,000. The overall impact to the General Fund is approximately $15,000.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the Alameda Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is not a project and no additional environmental review is required under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it involves governmental fiscal activities (revising recreation and park fees), which does not involve any commitment to any specific project which 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 or climate action opportunities associated with the subject of this report.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a public hearing to consider adoption of resolution amending Master Fee Resolution No. 12191 to add and Revise Recreation and Park Aquatic Fees for calendar year 2026.
Respectfully submitted,
Justin Long, Director of Recreation and Parks
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Ross McCarthy, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Revised 2026 Recreation and Parks Aquatic Program Fees
2. Regional Fee Comparison