Council poised to OK park user fees

By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

The City Council wants to expedite a bill that allows the city to charge user fees at city parks in an attempt to generate some revenue for the upcoming budget year.

The council has been batting the idea around since January, but last month shelved a bill that would allow the city parks director to charge a fee for certain activities at the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Park, Central O'ahu Regional Park, the Hans L'Orange Baseball Facility and other facilities. At the time council members were concerned that the bill was too broad and could lead to fees being charged to residents for casual park use.

However, council members yesterday decided that a new park fee bill was too narrow, because it restricted the parks director to charging only for the use of the three new parks with sports facilities, but would not allow the city to collect fees from national and international leagues that practice at other venues, such as the Ala Wai field or Ke'ehi Lagoon.

Both bills will be heard during a special council meeting on May 21 so that the council can include anticipated revenue in their budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The actual fees have yet to be proposed and there is no estimate for how much revenue they will generate.

The bill that passes will most likely allow the parks director to charge fees for park use by professional, collegiate, national amateur or for-profit organizations holding international, national or regional events.