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

2007 CRPR / CRRA Fee Policy

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

Prepared by Ronald J. Woodhead, Director

Centre Region Parks & Recreation Board / Centre Regional Recreation Authority

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.

% Revenue from Fees & Charges - by Fund for 2007

* Total Revenue does not include carryover balances from 2006

Notes:

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

              Fund 39 Nature Center Capital

              Fund 40 Parks Capital Equipment (funded by Fund 45 Parks & Recreation)

              Fund 42 Regional Parks Capital

              Fund 48 Pools Capital

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

Scheduling of School District Events on Municipal Parklands:

             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.

PAVILION RESERVATION REVIEW

• 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.

• CANCELLATION POLICY:

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.

• RAIN OUT POLICY

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:

             791 reservation fees were charged,

             70 reservation fees were waived for CRPR activities,

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.

21 Municipal Picnic Pavilions Available for 2007 Reservations

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

For 2007 the Centre Regional Recreation Authority will:

• retain the policies that:

(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+).

• retain the daily admission fees (for residents and nonresidents):

                          $3.50 per person age 2-10           $4.00 per person age 11+            (Ages 0-1 free)

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

• increase the Group Admission Rate for all ages to $3.25 per person.

• increase the Season Pass rates for the 2007 season:

             Birth years 1997-2005                             $39 R / $59 N (was $37 R / $56 N)  

             Birth years 1943-1996                             $54 R / $81 N    (was $52 R / $78 N)

             Birth years 1942 and earlier                     $39 R / $59 N (was $37 R / $56 N)

             5^th person and up                                     $24 R / $36 N    (was $22 R / $33 N)

• 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).

The following policies will be continued . . .

•           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.

* The Daily Admission Fees are the same for residents and nonresidents.

Aquatic Program Fees

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.

2007 Private Group Rental Rates (Park Forest & Welch Pools):

*The pool rental at PF Pool includes use of the pavilion.

** The pool rental at Welch Pool includes use of the slide.

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.

The proper forms must be completed for all pool rentals.

Picnic Pavilion at Park Forest Pool:

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.

2007 GROUP ADMISSION POLICY

Park Forest Community Swimming Pool & Wm. L. Welch Community Swimming Pool

The 2007 CRPR Pricing Policy includes:

• Daily Admission Rates:

                          $3.50 per person Age 2-10

                          $4.00 per person Age 11+

             • Season Passes (Resident /Nonresident):

                          $39 / $59: Birth years 1997-2005 & Birth years 1942 and earlier 

                          $54 / $81: Birth years 1943-1996

             • 10-Visit Packs for residents only at $36.00

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

             • An “After 5 PM” Admission Rate of $3.50 per person (for all ages)

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:

             - use the School Lunch Program as a measure of need, and

- seek special Gifts-For-Park donations for recreation scholarships.

                          Year     Fee Reductions/Waivers             Total Value

                          2001                  49                                   $1,336

                          2002                  81                                   $2,431

                          2003                  81                                   $2,627

                          2004                  87                                   $2,351

                          2005                  110                                 $6,028

                          2006                  148                                 $3,141

• 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.