For some participants, it will cost a little more when they “pay to play” in Peachtree City.
A recreation fee increase enacted Thursday by the City Council affects a one-time fee applied to participants in all sports which is then steered into a special account to fund maintenance of that venue.
City residents’ fee will remain $5 per person, per season. But residents who live elsewhere in Fayette County will increase from $5 per person per season to $10. And those living outside Fayette County face a fee jump from $10 to $25.
The various sports associations have been informed of the change and have agreed to the increases, said Leisure Services Director Randy Gaddo.
Council also approved a new fee schedule for tournaments using city sports fields that calls for commercial tournaments to pay a minimum of $185 per field, per day, more if lights are necessary. The fee drops to $65 for tournaments, camps or clinics hosted by city youth sports associations.
Also approved were slight increases in field rental rates for non-tournaments with a daily rate per field going from $100 to $125 for an in-county resident or business, and going from $125 to $150 for an out of county resident and up to $160 for an out of county business. The use of lights of course will require a slightly larger fee.
The city also raised the hourly rental fee from $25 to $35 for city and Fayette residents, and from $30 to $50 for out of county residents and $75 for out of county commercial ventures.
A separate request from the recreation department to set aside 50 percent of tournament fees so the fields can be rehabbed following tournaments was tabled.
Currently money received from tournament fees goes into the general fund, and under the proposal 50 percent still would head in that direction. The other half, however, is needed to put the fields back in shape after tournaments, Gaddo said.
Councilman Eric Imker bristled at the concept, saying the entire tournament fee take should be put in the general fund, adding that if more money is needed to rehab fields post-tournament the recreation department can ask for it in the annual budget process.
