MONROE - Families that want to make use of the city's health and recreational programs and facilities should prepare to pay a little more in 2015.
The Common Council approved new fees for the Parks and Recreation Department and the Behring Senior Center Wellness Center earlier this month. About three-fourths of the Parks and Recreation fees and more than half of the wellness center fees will be going up.
Marge Klinzing, director of the Recreation Department, said program prices needed to rise this year to offset increasing costs.
"Every year we look at the fees and try to cover the costs of supplies and instructors," she said. Umpires are also paid, but coaches are volunteers.
User fees for the seniors' wellness center in 2015 will go up by $2 for an annual membership, which is about a 1 to 1.7 percent increase compared to 2014 fees. Residents and non-residents annual memberships for singles and couples are available, as are six-month, three-month and monthly memberships. The cost of a single resident membership was $118 last year, while a resident couple's annual membership was $143.
At the Parks and Recreation Department, most youth activities will increase by $3 to $5. Pool passes for next summer will rise by $5 for the season and by $1 for daily admissions. A resident family pool pass was $90 in 2014 and daily admission for a resident adult was $3.50.
Users will see greater price increases for shelter houses, $15 to $40 more; pool rentals, $10 to $50 more; and some sports tournaments, $10 to $20 more. Shelter houses rented for $25 to $50 in 2014, while the pool rented for $75 to $100, depending on the number of swimmers.
More than 60 of the city's nearly 80 recreational programs and facilities will cost more to use in 2015 compared to 2014. But the prices of 25 of them had not risen since at least 2010.
Another 12 programs will keep the same costs next year as throughout the past five years. Programs not going up in price include summer school swimming lessons, the baby pool, night swims and special needs swimming, as well as sand volleyball, tennis camps and leagues, and sponsored special needs recreational programs.
The full list of recreational programs being offered for the 2015 season, and the prices, will become available in March, but program participants can begin registering for early programs now.
The Recreation Department is also expecting to be ready for online registration by March, and with a payment network service that will accept credit and debit card payments for an additional fee. Staff members are being trained on the software, which is already installed.
More information about programs at the Behring Senior Center and the City of Monroe Parks and Recreation Department can be found under Departments on the city's website: cityofmonroe.org.
The Common Council approved new fees for the Parks and Recreation Department and the Behring Senior Center Wellness Center earlier this month. About three-fourths of the Parks and Recreation fees and more than half of the wellness center fees will be going up.
Marge Klinzing, director of the Recreation Department, said program prices needed to rise this year to offset increasing costs.
"Every year we look at the fees and try to cover the costs of supplies and instructors," she said. Umpires are also paid, but coaches are volunteers.
User fees for the seniors' wellness center in 2015 will go up by $2 for an annual membership, which is about a 1 to 1.7 percent increase compared to 2014 fees. Residents and non-residents annual memberships for singles and couples are available, as are six-month, three-month and monthly memberships. The cost of a single resident membership was $118 last year, while a resident couple's annual membership was $143.
At the Parks and Recreation Department, most youth activities will increase by $3 to $5. Pool passes for next summer will rise by $5 for the season and by $1 for daily admissions. A resident family pool pass was $90 in 2014 and daily admission for a resident adult was $3.50.
Users will see greater price increases for shelter houses, $15 to $40 more; pool rentals, $10 to $50 more; and some sports tournaments, $10 to $20 more. Shelter houses rented for $25 to $50 in 2014, while the pool rented for $75 to $100, depending on the number of swimmers.
More than 60 of the city's nearly 80 recreational programs and facilities will cost more to use in 2015 compared to 2014. But the prices of 25 of them had not risen since at least 2010.
Another 12 programs will keep the same costs next year as throughout the past five years. Programs not going up in price include summer school swimming lessons, the baby pool, night swims and special needs swimming, as well as sand volleyball, tennis camps and leagues, and sponsored special needs recreational programs.
The full list of recreational programs being offered for the 2015 season, and the prices, will become available in March, but program participants can begin registering for early programs now.
The Recreation Department is also expecting to be ready for online registration by March, and with a payment network service that will accept credit and debit card payments for an additional fee. Staff members are being trained on the software, which is already installed.
More information about programs at the Behring Senior Center and the City of Monroe Parks and Recreation Department can be found under Departments on the city's website: cityofmonroe.org.