Gimme shelter fee increase in quest for more park revenues

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

“If I don’t get some shelter, I’m gonna fade away ...”

When the Rolling Stones sang “Gimme Shelter” back in 1969, they weren’t the least bit worried about Greencastle Parks and Recreation Department revenues, although the lyrics might seem fitting. Indeed, park revenue issues could be “just a shot away.”

After all, the first volley fired by the Greencastle Park Board in the war on park revenues and expenses hit on upping the cost of shelter, or more specifically, shelterhouse rentals at city parks.

During its rescheduled regular February meeting Monday night, the Park Board voted to raise shelter rental fees for both resident and non-resident users.

The three shelterhouses rented most often -- Nos. 1, 2 and 5 at Robe-Ann Park -- will raise from $40 a day to $50 a day for residents and $45 a day to $60 per day for non-residents.

Shelter No. 1 sits at the top of the hill, overlooking the bandshell from inside the park’s main circular drive. It can seat 90 people.

Shelter No. 2 is on the south side of the park, adjacent to the skatepark. The largest park shelterhouse, it can seat 120.

Shelter No. 5, at the northeast side of the park, is adjacent to the tennis courts. It can seat 80 and is a popular rental for groups conducting 5K runs that begin and end at the park.

It should be noted from the odd numbering that shelters 3 and 4 no longer exist. Already in disrepair at the time, they were razed during construction of the aquatic center in 1993.

The rental increase will allow the Park Department to maximize fees from the shelters. Park Director Rod Weinschenk said only 12 weeks a year find all the shelters at Robe-Ann Park being rented out, and there is never a time when all the shelters in the park system are spoken for.

Shelters are also available at Big Walnut Sports Park (three) and Jaycee Park (two). Big Walnut and Jaycee Park shelter fees were also bumped to $50 for residents and $60 for non-residents.

Weinschenk noted that one more shelter will be added to the rental list this year with the new bandshell at Robe-Ann available for public use for shows and special events. However, it will rent for $100 a day for residents and $150 for non-residents.

A not-for-profit rate was also established by the board with Shelters 1, 2 and 5 renting to such groups for $40, and the bandshell renting for $100.

Before the Park Board unanimously voted to raise those fees, Mayor Bill Dory asked Weinschenk how much work goes into cleaning up the shelterhouses after their use.

Typically it takes one person about 20 minutes to clean up a normal mess, the park director said, explaining that the work entails such things as emptying trash barrels, sweeping up debris, wiping off the tables and whatever else is necessary to make the area ready for the next user.

Weinschenk said he usually can do the entire round of all the shelters in less than two hours.

The fee increase, officials agree, is certainly warranted for the work and the availability.

“People have to realize we are an entity looking for donations, too,” Weinschenk said of the park, “and we have our own expenses.”

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  • It seems the Park Board has become obsessed about fees and I hate to see non-profits being charged a rental fee. The parks are a loss leader for our the community. We should increase our taxing structure for park funding. Talk of a YMCA being built should only be considered for Robe Ann Park with it connected to the Aquatics center.

    -- Posted by johnn on Wed, Feb 13, 2019, at 1:34 PM
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    Fees are an easy and widely acceptable way to help pay for costs - they are user fees... pay for use. If it were a private venue, the venue could always "donate" the use of the facility (for a tax write-off). Not the case with a public facility.

    If you hate seeing non-profits being charged a user fee, I suggest you contact all of your favorite non-profits and let them know that you would be happy to pay their user fees for any activities at the park. Then the parks get their money, the non-profits save their money, and you have done a good deed. Win-win-win. (You could even get a tax deduction, depending on the non-profit... another win!)

    Oh, and then not everyone would be burdened with a tax increase, especially those that don't use the parks and already get no value for the tax money that is spent on them. Another win.

    You could be a hero, Johnn! Maybe they will even put up a statue of you.

    With all of this winning, I think we should put a MAGA hat on your statue. :)

    -- Posted by dreadpirateroberts on Wed, Feb 13, 2019, at 2:48 PM
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    Johnn, I love this: "Talk of a YMCA being built should only be considered for Robe Ann Park with it connected to the Aquatics center."

    -- Posted by Vince Aguirre on Thu, Feb 14, 2019, at 10:04 AM
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