SEMINOLE – The days of sitting in a city park pavilion for a few hours to reserve it for a birthday party or some other type of family function will soon be over.
Due to increased demand, the city of Seminole’s first-come, first-served policy for use of pavilions and band shells at Seminole City Park and Blossom Lake Park will soon change to a reservation system.
Reservations must be made 14 days in advance with full payment by cash or check due at the time of the reservation. City officials also are looking into the possibility of accepting credit card payments as well.
The new fees are as follows:
• Pavilions – Recreation cardholders, $20 per day without power; $25 per day with power. Nonrecreation cardholders, $40 a day without electricity; $45 a day with electricity.
• Band shell – Recreation cardholders, $50 a day without electricity; $75 per day with electricity. Nonrecreation cardholders, $100 per day without electricity; $125 per day with electricity.
Anyone interested in using an inflatable at a park, must pay $50 per item.
In another change, which city officials hope will spur wider participation of programs at the recreation center, nonrecreation cardholders will be able to participate in specific programs and classes by paying a 50 percent access fee, in addition to the program fee.
“If you want to use the fitness center, you still need to buy a $120 rec card,” said Director of Administration Harry Kyne. “But if you want to sign up for a jazzercise class, a children’s art class or a music class, you have the option of getting a rec card and paying the resident rate, which is say $5. Or, if you don’t have a rec card, you can pay a 50 percent access fee, which would be an additional $2.50, for a $7.50 total.
“You wouldn’t need a rec card but it (access fee) buys you the right to come in and participate in that class, which hopefully helps to accommodate more people,” Kyne continued. “Hopefully, ideally, when people start coming in and start using some of the programs, they’ll understand the true value of the rec center and will be that much more inclined to get the $120 card.”
City Manager Frank Edmunds pointed out that the fee increases and other measures are not being done to make more money for the city. Instead, it’s a measure to market the city resources.
“This isn’t a significant revenue generator,” he said. “This is an attempt to make our (recreation) programs more successful.”
Also new is a family membership for $360.
“We’ve had some requests for a family card from nonresidents,” said Kyne. “We did review it and feel it would be a plus for the city to offer a family card, which would be $360 for a family of four. For additional family members, there would be a fee ($25) for that. We feel the negative impact would be minor and it would be positive on total participation or additional revenue.”
In another change involving the Aquatic Center, daily admission fees will apply to everyone. The schedule is as follows:
The seasonal pool pass (May to October) will remain $40 for youth, $60 for adults and $120 for families. However, only persons with recreation cards can purchase the seasonal pass.
All of the proposals will be taken up officially at an upcoming City Council meeting.
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