Henderson pool, recreation fees face sharp increases

Henderson is considering sharp fee hikes for pools, sports leagues and recreation centers that some parents say could drive them to pull their kids off a swim team.

The City Council might vote Tuesday to approve increases projected to produce an extra $2 million to $3 million a year in revenue. The increases were recommended by a consultant the city hired last year whose study found Henderson’s fees are below those of other cities around the country.

“If this increase is approved, unfortunately for my daughter, we sadly have to have her quit the team and/or even (worse), the sport,” swim parent Rocio Rodriguez-Martinez wrote in an email to council members.

An initial proposal could have meant a sixfold increase in pool rental costs for her daughter’s team, the Boulder City Henderson Heatwave. The formerly city-run swim club includes more than 400 children.

But after deciding to incorporate as a nonprofit and negotiating with the city, Heatwave head coach Mike Polk said the cost increases will be smaller — though more than double what the fees are now.

“It’s still painful for some people,” Polk said.

Two City Council members, Debra March and Sam Bateman, said they had not made up their minds on the fees. Others did not return messages seeking comment.

Robert Murnane, the city’s public works and parks and recreation director, said the fee increases reflect reality: Henderson’s acclaimed recreation services — a huge point of pride for the city and a draw for affluent residents — are underfunded.

Last year, to address a budget shortfall, Henderson cut recreation center hours and increased fees for services including swimming, child care and senior meals.

Nationally, Murnane said, most recreation departments aim for user fees to cover about 30 percent of costs. In Henderson, that figure is 22 percent, meaning the city has had to pay more out of its budget. Today, fees cover about $7.2 million of the city’s $33 million parks and recreation costs.

“The fee increase is inevitable,” Murnane said, adding of the BCH swim team, “They’re getting a really fabulous deal.”

Polk agreed the team has had a “great deal” since splitting off from the city seven years ago. And parents said they’re willing to pay more but want gradual increases instead of sudden, steep hikes.

“It’s scrambling for a game of catch-up to try and rectify, maybe, oversights in the past,” said Suzanne Armstrong, a parent of two BCH swimmers. “And I don’t think it’s fair or reasonable to expect people all at once to just bite that bullet.”

Jon Foster, who also has two children on the BCH team, said the increases are especially galling since recreation centers have cut evening hours and are now closed Sundays.

“I don’t mind paying,” Foster said. “I mind paying more for less.”

In July, the city awarded a $55,000 contract to Salt Lake City-based Zions Bank Public Finance for a “parks and recreation pricing study.”

Murnane said the city later held two public forums, which were lightly attended, and sent out 15,000 emails, leading to 600 survey responses. When the consultant finished its report, the city emailed it to 60,000 people, getting about 160 comments, positive and negative.

The 126-page report recommends increases in scores of fees, though not all. Because of public feedback, the city has tried to limit the impact on seniors and children, Murnane said. ID cards still will be free for seniors and veterans, and youth cards will remain $5. Senior and youth costs for membership or daily admission also will be lower.

People who live outside Henderson, who until now have paid the same rates, will pay more since they aren’t subsidizing the facilities like Henderson taxpayers. Murnane said this was, to his knowledge, the first time the city ever had done a comprehensive study of its recreation fees in relation to costs.

The BCH swim team faced a unique issue: Since it was part of the city from 1991 to 2007, it never paid a per-lane fee. Polk said the team simply paid a flat fee based on the city’s former revenue. Polk did the math and found out the team had been paying about $2.40 per lane per hour.

The first proposal would have had private renters paying $14.44 an hour and nonprofit groups $8.25. Polk said he met this week with Murnane and Mayor Andy Hafen and discussed ways to cushion the blow. After deciding to make BCH a nonprofit and negotiating down, they arrived at $6.25.

The team will cut back on its number of lanes to save money. Still, some parents’ monthly fees per child could go up from $70 to $100, Polk said. That could be especially hard to stomach for families with multiple children.

Armstrong said she’ll keep her kids on the team no matter what, but that not everyone will be able to afford to do so.

“You’re going to lose a lot of families,” she said. “And I’d like to think that sports are available for everyone ... regardless of money.”

Contact Eric Hartley at ehartley@reviewjournal.com or 702-550-9229. Find him on Twitter: @ethartley