In-District and Out-of-District Fees

Many of you may remember that members of the public had suggested that taxpayer contributions to the facilities operated by the District should be recognized by charging more to those living outside district boundaries. The Mountain Recreation Board directed that staff consider implementing an out-of-district rate for facility admissions.

Staff requested time to consider just how that might be done, especially given the complicated nature of the community’s addressing, the District’s registration software setup, and relationships with partners. The goal was to determine how and how much the difference charged between residents and non-residents should be prior to a January 2023 implementation date.

Following staff’s report on its work to develop a plan, the board has decided not to implement fees distinguishing between in-district and out-of-district community members.

“The anticipated revenue was just not worth the effort required to manage and maintain a tiered fee structure,” stated Chris Pryor, board president.

Staff analyzed adding an approximate (+/-) 20% surcharge to daily admissions, punch cards, and membership passes to out-of-district transactions. The increase in revenue resulting from the surcharge was estimated to be less than $6,000 annually.

Staff estimated that 10% of guests come from out of district to utilize the Eagle Pool and Ice Rink. An increase for those folks would generate roughly $1,420 annually from daily admissions. An additional estimate of 1% of summer pool passes sold to non-district families could add $651 more, or $2,071 total for the Eagle Pool and Ice Rink. Edwards Field House revenue was projected to increase more, and yet was still only estimated to be $3,503 annually.

The intergovernmental agreement governing operation of the Gypsum Recreation Center with the Town of Gypsum required Town Council to consider a request from the District to charge out-of-District rates.

“The Town of Gypsum has respectfully suggested that implementing an additional fee for out-of-district residents might reduce participation. With a goal of welcoming, accessible, and inclusive facilities, such a fee seemed in opposition to that goal,” stated Janet Bartnik, Mountain Rec Executive Director. “The Town will not authorize rate differentials to be applied to the Gypsum Recreation Center or Gypsum Creek Pool.”

Partial implementation will admittedly be difficult to communicate and may raise questions as to the rationale for assessing such a surcharge in only two of three areas when the board has worked so hard to achieve cohesion and consistency in service across the District’s facilities.

Janet Bartnik is the Executive Director at Mountain Recreation. To contact Janet email JBartnik@MountainRec.org.