2007 CRPR Pricing Policy

Centre Region Council of Governments
Centre Region Parks & Recreation Board / Centre Regional Recreation Authority

Approved on 14 Dec 06 for 2007 implementation;
however the revised 2007 Nature Center fees were approved
by the Authority on 8 Feb 07

The Fee Policy works in conjunction with the 2007 Agency Budget, currently under review by the five participating municipalities. As shown below, a balanced combination of User Fees, Grants, Donations and Municipal Contributions is vital to the ongoing success of CRPR.

- Four P&R funds for capital projects do not involve user fees and are not included in this policy:

- This policy does not include the Customer Service Fee related to the Internet registration service to be implemented in 2007.

It is recommended that the Board/Authority authorize for 2007 a complete review of policies involved with school district uses of municipal park facilities. The big picture is that the two-way relationship with SCASD is central to providing P&R services to residents. Among other items, that relationship includes the lands under Welch Pool, obtaining indoor and outdoor facilities for P&R programs, joint uses of Park Forest Pool parking area, the cooperative relationship at Fogleman Fields, how uses at Memorial Field impact Central Parklet, the leasing of school play areas as municipal parklands and SCASD uses of Millbrook Marsh Nature Area.

The park pavilion rental fee for State College Area School District-sponsored groups will continue to be waived for Monday through Friday (daytime and evening) uses during the school year (from 14-days prior to the opening of school through the last day of school for students). Uses at other times will be charged the standard fee. The fee waiver does not include uses (or pavilion rentals) at Millbrook Marsh Nature Center or at the outdoor pools. It is recommended that this policy continue until the relationship is discussed.

• The fee is charged for the service of reserving a picnic pavilion in advance. All park pavilions may be used (without a reservation) at no charge by a “single-family group” if the facility is not reserved in advance by another group.

• In all cases and in order to protect park facilities, the agency may require a pavilion reservation for “non-family” or “multiple-family” group requests for events at any municipal park site or use.

• 2007 pavilion reservations may be made starting on 2 Jan 07 for events occurring Sat., 14 Apr 07 through Sunday, 28 Oct 07. Electrical service is optionally available at specified pavilions with an additional fee of $5 per day. 6 of the pavilions may again be reserved on a year-round basis.

• For 2007, staff is authorized to direct a “catered event” (or any event that will involve private vehicle access to the pavilion) to one best able to accommodate that access. This is an effort to eliminate the operation of private vehicles on pedestrian walkways or service areas.

Any cancellations or schedule changes 7 or more calendar days prior to the reserved time are eligible for a 50% refund, same-year credit, or transfer to another reservation (same year). No refunds.

Any cancellations or schedule changes less than 7 calendar days prior to the reserved time are not eligible for a refund, credit, or transfer.

If weather conditions (at the park) prohibited use of the facility, the CRPR Office must be notified by phone no later than 5:00 PM on the first business day after the reservation day. CRPR will attempt to reschedule the group at no additional charges during the current season, pending availability. No refunds or credits can be provided.

Pavilion permit revenue for 2006 will total $27,457.50 @ $35 or $40 per event. Of the 892 reservations in 2006:

31 pavilion reservation fees were waived for qualifying SCASD requests, per established policy (value = $1,240).

By municipality, the following permits were issued for 2006 pavilion reservations (includes agency uses):

Other Municipal Park Pavilions available at no charge for Public Uses (without reservations)

These pavilions below are not available for non-neighborhood group uses, except with the express permission of Centre Region Parks & Recreation and payment of the reservation fee.

State College Borough:             Smithfield Park, Tusseyview Park
College Twp.:                            Dalevue Park, Slab Cabin Park (w/ 2 pavilions)
Ferguson Twp.:                         Meadows, Suburban Park, Greenbriar-Saybrook Park (w/2 pavilions)
Harris Twp.:                              Fasick Park, Kaywood Park
Patton Twp.:                              Oakwood Park (2), Woodycrest Park, Green Hollow, Park Forest Tot Lot

This list does not include any single-table pavilions or the gazebos at Thompson Woods Preserve or Nittany Orchard Park.

Two sites have been added to the reservation system for 2007 (# 2 & # 9). The pavilions will be available 14 Apr 07 - 28 Oct 07. Pavilions with underlined names will continue to be available year-round in 2007, with a $5 discount for off-season dates. All group uses of parks are subject to the LARGE GROUP EVENT POLICY

(1) all entrants (swimmers, non-swimmers, sunbathers, etc.) must pay an entrance fee (via daily admission or season pass). Non-swimming accompanying adults (not dressed in swimwear) will be admitted at $1.00 per person. Of course, someone entering only to find a patron or drop off an article will not be charged.

(2) Entrance fees (daily admissions & season passes) are not eligible for refunds or credits; Season Passes are not transferable.

(3) All entrants age 10 & under must be accompanied by a responsible adult (age 16+).

• increase the “After 5 PM” admission fee to $3.50 per person for all ages,

• retain the 10-Visit Pack to $36.00 (= 10% discount off 10 daily adult admissions). Each admission ticket may be used by a different person. The discount associated with the 10-Visit Packs is not valid after 5 PM (when admissions are $3.50). These expire on 15 Jul 07 or 30 days after purchase.

• continue the “Early-Bird” discount for pass purchasers (Dec. 2006 - April 30, 2007), with a $5.00 discount on the 2007 season pass prices (the discount does not apply to 5^th + Family Member passes).

• Resident rates are only for residents of the five CRPR-participating municipalities.

• All entrants age 10 & under (born in 1997 or later) must be accompanied by a responsible adult (age 16+).

• Non-swimming adults (not attired in swimwear) will be admitted at a rate of $1.00 per person.

• A “Pool Pass Photo Day” will be held at both pool offices from 10 AM - 2 PM on Sat., 19 May 07, rain or shine.

• The agency will continue to offer the popular “Family Fun Nights” at the pools with games, prizes, and extended evening hours.

• 10-Visit Packs expire on 15 Jul 07 (for those purchased pre-season) or 30-days after purchase.

With regard to season pass fees, a common comparison is to determine how many daily admission visits it takes to pay for a season pass. Note that during a typical summer the pools are open for 100 days, weather-permitting.

In this table: R = Resident of a participating municipality; N = non-participating municipality.

Fees for regular CRPR programs will be calculated by using the Program Budget Worksheet. Per established Board policy, nonresidents (including Halfmoon Twp. residents and the SCASD section of Benner Township) are charged 150% of the resident rate.

The estimated rental fee must be paid in full no less than 7 days prior to the event date; otherwise, the rental will not be scheduled. Final payments based upon actual attendance are due immediately after the event.

The pools are available for rentals starting at 8 PM on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings (after the regular closing time of 8 PM.) All rentals must end no later than 10 PM.

Minimum Rental: 1 Hour (if over 1 hour, total time charged will be for full hours only.)

The provisions of the CRPR Large Group Event Policy will apply for rentals involving more than 100 people.

In line with the other regional picnic pavilions that may be reserved, the pavilion inside Park Forest Swimming Pool may be rented and reserved at the standard pavilion rate of $40 for the event, during regular pool hours. However, in addition to the rental fee, all pavilion users (including non-swimmers) must pay the standard admission fee, use their season pass, or use 10-Visit Pack tickets. The Private Group Pool Rental process (above) includes free use of the Pavilion after normal pool hours.

• A non-swimming (and not attired in swimwear) chaperone rate of $1.00 per person

If an organization requests the Group Admission Rate, the request will be considered with the following provisions:

• In the interest of safety, groups must schedule all swim dates & times at least 24 hours in advance with the Aquatics Supervisor. Generally, no more than three groups of up to 35 members each will be admitted to each pool at one time, except with the express approval of the Aquatics Supervisor. The Pool Staff may decline admission of any unscheduled groups at the Group Admission Rate.

• A group is defined as a non-family party consisting of at least 10 persons, including supervisors and leaders.

• An organization may send no more than 35 group-members (including supervisors) at any one time onto pool grounds for an afternoon period,

• The 35 group-members from that organization may stay on pool grounds no longer than 2 hours

(i.e., 1-3 PM, 3-5 PM). The 2 hour period includes the 15-minute Adult Swim Periods at 2, 3, and 4 PM. The Group Admission Rates are not available for admission after 5 PM.

• The group supervisors must accompany and actively supervise the swimmers during the entire period. At least one supervisor must be present for each 10 children.

• All entrants related to the group will be included in the calculation of the group admission fee at $3.25 per person (i.e., supervisors, chaperones, group leaders, babysitters, parents, swimmers & non-swimmers), except non-swimming chaperones, not attired in swimwear, will be admitted @ $1.00.

This policy applies to all groups and organizations, including CRPR camp programs. The maximum time per day is 2 hours per swimmer-group (vs.2-hours per organization). If the organization has more than 35 children, they may choose to rotate groups of up to 35 into the pool, reduce their pool time to accommodate their schedule, or rotate the days per week that a particular group would visit the pool. Group Admission fees are not eligible for refund or credit.

The group leader will log-in (and log-out) with the Pool Cashier, certify the group count for each visit, sign the invoice for payment of the appropriate entrance fees (terms: net 10 days), and be responsible for the conduct and the 2-hour (maximum) schedule of the group on pool grounds. Groups who abuse the supervision policies, pool conduct rules, invoice payments, or the time limits may be suspended from using the pools by the Pool Managers, Aquatics Supervisor, or the Director.

This policy was adopted in response to pool customer concerns, and to provide a fair trade off for the reduced group entrance rates. No time restrictions will apply to groups if they purchase standard daily admissions, 10-visit packs or individual season passes.

2007 Summer Swim Schedule
As of 30 Nov 06
Please note that a Season Pass is valid at either pool.
All times are “weather-permitting” and are also subject to change pending the SCASD Calendar.

* The School Day Schedule may be extended due to any makeup days required by SCASD. The End-of-Season schedule may also be revised pending the SCASD Calendar, when announced.

• The weekday lunchtime Adult Lap Swim at both pools will start on the first day of the Regular Season Weekday schedule (currently June 12). The evening Lap Swim times will be available on prior weekdays, as noted above.

• During the regular season, either Park Forest Pool or Welch Pool may be closed on Tuesday or Thursday evenings due to the scheduled swim meets. When a swim meet is scheduled for one pool, the other pool will be open (weather-permitting) for the General Swim and Adult Lap Swim on that evening.

For 2007 the agency will continue the existing process used by CRPR staff to calculate program and league fees. In essence, program and league fees are established based upon an examination of all costs involved with offering that program or league. With the number of special events and low-cost programs offered, each program may not cover expenses, but as a group the programs should be self-supporting.

• The pricing process for each program includes identifying direct costs (personnel, facility costs, transportation, advertising, supplies) and indirect costs (fees for staff support services, criminal background checks, insurance, overhead, etc.). Overall, program participants are asked to bear the cost for individual services (i.e., pay as you go). In addition, the fee history for each program is also an important component of determining each program fee. Given the many recreation opportunities in the region, coupled with the fact that CRPR is a public agency, the agency intends to keep the fees both attractive and competitive. Since the fee is a function of costs as well as the planned number of participants, staff will strive to keep the number of participants appropriate for a quality experience and the fees as low as possible. Staff are encouraged to work with Program Partners and other groups to obtain donated goods and services.

• The resultant program or league fee establishes the “Resident rate.” The Resident rate applies only to residents of the 5 participating COG Parks & Recreation municipalities (State College Borough, College Twp., Ferguson Twp., Harris Twp., and Patton Twp.). The Nonresident rate has been previously-established by Board action at 150% of the Resident rate (= the Resident rate + 50%).

• In the case of aquatic instructional programs held at the High School Natatorium, before 2000 the residents of Halfmoon Twp. and the SCASD section of Benner Township were included in the Resident rate, since they had contributed to school district capital costs through their SCASD real estate taxes. (Halfmoon Twp. and the SCASD section of Benner Township do not cooperate in funding CRPR operational costs). In view of the increased fees that were implemented by SCASD to recover pool operational costs, the CRPR Fee Policy provided that Halfmoon Township & Benner Township residents were to be charged the nonresident rates for CRPR aquatic programs held at the HS Pool after 1 July 00. This policy will continue through 2007.

• Recreation services are especially valuable to youth. Any increase in fees requires that the agency also take steps to accommodate those individuals that would benefit from our services, but cannot afford the program fees. In view of agency budget limitations, the Board again authorizes the Director to waive any amount of the fee for youth as necessary. The Board also directed staff to:

• With respect to adult league operations, the Recreation Supervisor will not prepare or distribute a league playing schedule until all teams are paid in full. This policy was initiated in 2000 and will continue.

At the December 2006 CRRA meeting, the Millbrook Marsh Nature Center Advisory Committee was asked to revisit the original proposal for 2007 fees. The recommended changes were reviewed at the February CRRA meeting and approved as listed below. This fee schedule revises previous versions and is effective immediately.

Visitors to the Nature Center are important to the growth of the center and the first priority is to encourage those uses without endangering the visitor, the resource, or the facilities. The purpose of this section is to establish group policies and fees for facility uses and educational program services.Group or organizational uses of the facility are monitored to protect visitors and the ecosystem.

These policies and fees are subject to change by the Centre Regional Recreation Authority as the Nature Center facilities are improved. A group is defined as an organized, non-family body of people consisting of 8 or more individuals. Note that the current Centre Region Code Agency-approved “inside capacity” of the barn is 40 people per floor. The standard fees listed below do not include any type of fund-raising event. The facilities are available March - November only, except by special permission of the CRPR Director.

FACILITY RENTALS

At Millbrook Marsh Nature Center

1. Group Use of Picnic Pavilion Only

Permit Required; Fee $35 per event

No Program or Instructional Services

This fee matches the region-wide rates for municipal park pavilions and all CRPR procedures apply to this pavilion. Maximum capacity is 64 people. This pavilion remains one of six in the region that are available for reservation on a year-round basis.

2. Group Use of Barn & Grounds Only

Permit Required; Fee $45 for 2 hours plus $15 for each additional hour

No Program or Instructional Services

The renting group may have use of the main floor-level in the barn. In no case may occupancy of the barn exceed 40 people per floor at any time. A $5.00 per event surcharge will be made if the group numbers 41 or more on-site. The starting time shall be considered as that time when the barn is requested by the group to be opened for access. The ending time shall be considered as that time when the barn may be locked up or ready for another rental. With a barn rental, no use of the pavilion or Wetland Laboratory is permitted; however they may be reserved separately. Groups of 100 or more will follow the guidelines of the Large Group Event Policy and have an additional fee.

3. Group Use of the Basement Floor of Barn (future Wetlab):

(This area will become available as a multi-purpose space upon approval by Centre Region Code Admin.)

Permit Required; Fee $45 for 2 hours plus $15 for each additional hour

No Program or Instructional Services

The renting group may reserve use of the lower floor-level of the barn (the future WetLab room) in the barn. In no case may occupancy of the barn exceed 40 people per floor at any time. A $5.00 per event surcharge will be made if the group numbers 41 or more on-site. The starting time shall be considered as that time when the barn is requested by the group to be opened for access. The ending time shall be considered as that time when the barn may be locked up or ready for another rental. With this rental, no use of the pavilion or Main-Floor Barn is permitted; however they may be reserved separately. Groups of 100 or more will follow the guidelines of the Large Group Event Policy and have an additional fee.

GUIDED EDUCATIONAL VISITS

to Millbrook Marsh Nature Center

4. Programs and Instructional Services:

Large Group Programs, Small Group Programs, & Wetland Lab Programs

Permit Required; Fee $ 4.50 per participant; facility rental fees waived (a $.50 increase from 2006 to cover additional program development and staff costs)

•If the group selects one of the "MMNC Group Programs" (a 2-hour program presented by MMNC staff), the only fee is a $4.50 per participant program fee. The facility rental fee for either the barn or the pavilion will be waived. The facility for the program (either the barn or the pavilion) will be determined by the Recreation Supervisor - Nature Center. If the group wishes to utilize a second facility, that facility may be reserved by the group at the regular rates (for reserving the pavilion or barn).

•Groups who wish to lead their own educational activities at the Nature Center MUST pre-schedule their visit with the Recreation Supervisor and use Category #5: Walk-Through Only OR Category #6: Group Use of Grounds With Instructional Areas.

•Any student or child who attends the program with the group must be registered, including siblings or friends who are present with the group. Adults are not charged for youth programs. Groups of more than 50 will be scheduled for multiple program sessions as determined by CRPR staff.

•Group leaders should inquire with Centre Region Parks & Recreation for more information and scheduling. Programs should be requested at least 3-weeks prior to the desired program date. An estimated fee for this service must be paid in full at least 7 days prior to the event. All fees are payable at the event, or within 30 days if paid by the proceeds of a grant or donation.

•If the group does not desire to have a standard group program and requests a custom program, the facility rates (above) apply to the event, and a program fee will be calculated to recover all costs for planning, materials, instructors, and cleanup. Payment in full will be due at least 7 days prior to the event.

•Groups should have at least one adult per ten children, or as determined by the CRPR staff. Group participants under the age of 5 must be accompanied by an adult unless they are visiting as part of a school group.

UNGUIDED EDUCATIONAL VISITS

At Millbrook Marsh Nature Center

✽ Leaders of groups who wish to use the nature center Instructional Areas for self-led activities (No program or Instructional Services from Nature Center Staff) are required to attend a Group Leader Training Workshop before leading activities in the nature center. This orientation-style workshop, offered several times throughout the season, will orient leaders to the important marsh ecosystem, provide a guided tour of the usable areas, outline processes for using the site, explain the mission statement and nature center priorities, and provide useful information about outdoor instruction. The goal of these training sessions is to provide quality information and guidelines to Group Leaders and to protect the marsh ecosystem. Training session schedules will be posted seasonally. The cost is $25 per person for a 2 hour session and is valid for one calendar year. (ACT 48 credit and reimbursement may be available through school district or your organization.)

✽ A staff person will be on-site to “Meet & Greet” groups. This person will answer facility-related questions and monitor the group’s activities periodically throughout the rental. No instruction or interpretive services will be provided.

5. Group Use of Grounds Only and/or Group Walk-Through Only

Permit Required; No Charge (for groups of 25 or less)

No Program or Instructional Services included

By municipal ordinance, any group activity requires a permit in advance. Therefore, all requests for group activities at the site must be coordinated with and scheduled through the CRPR office. There is no fee for groups less than 25 people who arrive and walk through the Nature Center grounds. (Example: An instructor with students studying flora and fauna). This option permits no use of or access to buildings, interior equipment, the telephone, or any shelter in case of rain. Any use of MMNC Instructional Areas or shelters should be minimal and may only be used if it is not reserved by another group. In view of the size of the marsh area, the agency may grant permits for more than one group per time depending on the activity and area of use.

Groups of 25 or more, or groups wishing to make use of designated instructional areas must request a permit under Category #6.

6. Group Use of Grounds Including Instructional Areas

Permit Required; Fee $45 for 2 hours plus $15 for each additional hour

No Program or Instructional Services

(Available only at specified times throughout the season, reflecting priority for Staff-Guided Programs)

Groups who wish to use the Grounds & Instructional Areas (i.e., school group self-guided field trips) will have priority access to these areas during the time of the rental. No access to the barn, wetlab, or pavilion will be granted unless reserved separately. A $5.00 per event surcharge will be made if the group numbers 41 or more on-site. Group size is limited to 2 classrooms or 50 people, to protect the marsh ecosystem. The starting time shall be considered as that time requested by the group for access. The ending time shall be considered as that time when the areas are available for another rental. Instructional areas are defined as: sun shelters, boardwalk observation / viewing decks, boardwalk bridges, and bird blind, as these areas can impact the effectiveness of other reserved groups.

PLEASE NOTE: This is type of rental was approved as a “Pilot Program” for 2007 only.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS
At Millbrook Marsh Nature Center

7. Birthday Parties at Millbrook Marsh Nature Center:

Fee: $85 per party (same as 2006)

A birthday party package at MMNC includes:

• Up to 10 children participating. (Additional children are $5 per child, no charge for adults),

• Barn Rental (3 hour total use: 30 minute set up and clean up time, 1 hour program, 1 hour activity time),

• Use of tables & chairs in barn, trash removal, free parking, and a MMNC T-shirt for the birthday child.

Parents are responsible for food, beverages, paper products, decorations, and all set up and clean up.

8. Friends of Millbrook Marsh Nature Center:

Fee: $35 per household per calendar year (same as 2006)

A membership provides support for the Nature Center and gives families the knowledge that members are supporting a local environmental education effort. Membership benefits include:

• Monthly email updates, including important upcoming events and dates at the Center,

• Special informational mailings and data not available to the public about topics and issues at the Center,

• 10% discount off program registration fees and facility rental fees (excludes Group Program Fees)

• 20% discount on the purchase of a MMNC T-shirt.

Contributions to the Nature Center are fully tax-deductible to the extent permitted by the IRS. A household membership includes the head of the household and adults/children living at that residence for the current calendar year.

• All uses of the facility must end at dusk, except by written permission of the Director of Parks and Recreation.

• The Director is authorized to require the group to provide a Certificate of Insurance for the proposed event(s), listing Centre Region Parks & Recreation and Centre Regional Recreation Authority as an additional insured. The appropriate types and amounts of coverages shall be determined by Centre Region Parks & Recreation.

• Centre Region Parks & Recreation may specify permitted use-areas, schedules, and all activity locations that are in the best interest of the Nature Center. In addition, CRPR may establish the level of training required of group leaders to conduct any activities in the marsh, or may require that a CRPR staff member accompany the group. The costs for this leadership shall be added to the facility rental fee.

• All proposed activities must conform to the lease agreement with Penn State, the ClearWater Conservation Easement, and any agreements that may be made with Nature Center partners.

• Per municipal ordinances for all parks, the consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages on Nature Center property is prohibited.

A fund-raising event is defined as any activity which generates revenue in excess of the costs involved with that particular program or event. Any group may apply for a Fund-raising Event Permit no less than 60 days prior to the planned event, by submitting a written request to Centre Region Parks & Recreation for review. The request shall provide all information regarding the event or program. The Director may, at his discretion, obtain the approval of the Centre Regional Recreation Authority at a regularly-scheduled meeting for a request of this type. The permit fee, which shall be determined by the Director will reimburse the Nature Center for all costs involved (in addition to the facility rental fees listed above). The amount of the fee may be appealed to the Centre Regional Recreation Authority, prior to the event in question.

CRPR operates the Senior Center in partnership with Centre County; they will provide 27% of the 2007 budget. During 2005, the Centre County Office of Aging approved a request from CRPR to expand the programs offered to participants by offering two types of programs:

(1) Level I (Core) programs: no fees are charged to participants because they are led by volunteers or interns, and

(2) Level II programs: fees to participants offset the costs involved, using the standard Resident /Nonresident fee policy.

This initiative has been very successful. Since the agency also provides a Program Assistant (part-time) for the Center, the agency will continue to offer more programs and attract new customers to the Center.

With regard to the operation of the PC Learning Lab, Senior Center participants utilizing the PC Learning Lab will retain a charge of $3.00 per person per hour in order to help offset computer supplies and maintenance costs. Individual computer tutoring, which is an effective and popular service offered by volunteer tutors, will be available on an appointment basis for no additional fee.

Since 2001, nonprofit community service groups have been required to furnish a security deposit plus a donation to the Senior Center. For 2007 the following fee policies will remain in effect:

• Security Deposit: $50, payable in advance. In the event that a group stops meeting at the Center and wants to reclaim their security deposit, they can do so for up to one year from their last meeting. If unclaimed after one year, the deposit will not be available for refund and will be used by the Senior Center.

Donation for the use of 1 or 2 rooms (payable within 48 hours of the end of the event):

Additional fees will be charged if it is necessary, in the opinion of staff, to reimburse the agency for any supervision or janitorial costs associated with the rental.

In addition, the Community Academy for Lifelong Learning utilizes weekday, daytime class space for cooperative programming with the Senior Center. They provide a donation of $10 per class meeting for courses have 1-5 sessions, and $50 for a 6-session course.

Additional fees will be charged if it is necessary, in the opinion of staff, to reimburse the agency for any supervision or janitorial costs associated with the rental

The Large Group Event Policy (LGE) was approved in 1999 and amended in 2004. The policy authorizes a process for issuing permits for events in all parks for any event that may exceed 100 visitors/event. The fees associated with each event and the LGE Permit have been based solely on the reimbursement of any extra clean-up or repair costs incurred by CRPR after the event, except for a $35 Daily Reservation Fee for Central Parklet events.

For 2007, it is proposed that a base Permit Fee to issue any LGE Permit be set at $40 per day, year-round (including events at Central Parklet, sport field, nature center, dog park, etc., but excluding the swimming pools). The $40 LGE Permit Fee is in addition to:

In 1999 the “CRPR Show Wagon” (a flat-bed wagon used as a mobile-stage) was rebuilt. A rental fee of $40 was initiated for the Show Wagon during 2001, and will be continued for 2007. The wagon may only be used by CRPR and/or nonprofit groups in participating municipalities, and only as a stage or performance platform. Any use by commercial groups is prohibited, as is any use as a parade float.

The $40 fee must be paid prior to the day of delivery, and includes one delivery trip and one pickup trip for the rental. For multi-day use on weekdays, there will be an additional $10 per day charge for rental of the show wagon. Any movement of the Show Wagon by CRPR staff during a multi-day event would require a Moving Fee of $20. Any necessary cleanup of the Show Wagon after the event (remove trash, staples, nails, etc.) would result in Service Fee of $20. Finally, the cost of any repairs necessary as a result of the rental would be invoiced to the group.

As a public service, the agency has provided duffle-bags (containing sports equipment) to requesting groups or individuals. In view of the staff and equipment costs to provide this service, it is proposed that the agency continue the successful rental policies started in 1998:

- offer one Sport Pack to groups for use at paid pavilion reservation events at no charge, with a security deposit of $15/group. If additional sport packs are required for the renting group, they may be rented per below.

- rent a Sport Pack to other groups for private or public uses at $10 each, plus a security deposit of $15 / group.

If any item is missing from the sport bag when it is returned, the entire $15 security deposit will be forfeited.

The Agency owns two holiday character costumes which, due to their condition, are no longer available for outside uses or for rent.

The Remembrance Trees started in 1994 and has generated donations for the purchase and planting of 293 trees in the municipal parks. Donations to the program must be sufficient to cover the following material & labor costs:

- tree bidding and selection - purchasing the tree - tree planting, mulching, staking

Combined with the increases in tree stock and labor costs, it is necessary to increase the donation amounts for the trees:

• Prior to mid-Feb 2004, the donation amounts were $175 for a 1.5" caliper tree and $275 for a 2.5" caliper tree.

• In mid-Feb 2004, they increased to $200 and $300, along with a provision for an additional donation for higher-priced species, if so specified by the donor.

• For 2007 it is proposed that the minimum amounts for Remembrance Tree donations be set at:
$240 for a 1.5" caliper tree
$350 for a 2.5" caliper tree
In addition, the donor tags on each tree are now guaranteed for one-year from planting. They will not be replaced after that time.

The agency is authorized to continue participation in the annual consignment program for discounted amusement park and ski-lift tickets as offered by the PA Recreation and Park Society (PRPS). Proceeds of these sales has been designated to benefit the CRPR Gifts-For-Parks program. The fees and policies for the ticket sales are specified by PRPS each year.

CRPR was charged with operating this section of Tom Tudek Memorial Park starting in 2007. The Dog Park opened in 2006. The facility was built as a result of the efforts of the Tudek Dog Park Committee, the Tom Tudek Memorial Trust and Ferguson Township. Admission to the Dog Park is free. It is expected that the Tudek Dog Park Committee will remain active in the operation of the Dog Park, especially since they wish to raise funds for additional improvements there.

Since CRPR is responsible for operations, it is likely that the agency will be asked to accommodate special events in and around the dog park. As a result, the provisions of the Large Group Event Policy will apply to those uses, along with the provisions of the Ferguson Township Park Ordinance. Given the unique nature of the Dog Park, the Director is authorized to increase or decrease fees associated with proposed event, so that all agency expenses related to a group event are reimbursed by the event organizers.

The fenced garden area was built as a result of the efforts of Joe Banks, the Tom Tudek Memorial Trust and Ferguson Township. The Community Garden Plots opened in 2005 at this site; the garden was expanded for the 2006 growing season. CRPR was charged with operating this section of Tom Tudek Memorial Park starting in 2007. The Tudek Garden Plot Committee will continue to assist and advise the agency on the operation.

             The gardens consist of 99 plots:
                          36 half-plots      20'x15' = 300 sq. ft.       @ $15  = $540 annual revenue
                          63 full-plots      20'x30' = 600 sq. ft.       @ $25 = $1,575 annual revenue

While it is hoped that volunteers and other donations will maintain the low level of expenses from prior years, the garden operation must be financially self-supporting by the gardeners. Since CRPR staff will now be responsible for the garden funds and the related duties (communications, fee collections & permits, coordinating with the committee, maintenance of the area), it is recommended that the plot fees for 2007 be increased to $20 and $30 respectively.