Editor’s note: The following article has been updated to correct errors in the original version published Jan. 21.

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By Gretchen Webster

WESTPORT — Fees for Parks and Recreation Department programs will increase across the board this year under the agency’s cost-recovery process.

It’s time to play catch up with out-of-date fees for things like leasing department facilities and a range of activity programs, Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Fava told the commission last week.

“There are a lot [of fees] that have not changed in a very long time,” Fava said. “We will be doing this on an annual basis. We won’t have long spans of time with fees unchanged.”

Those changes include higher fees for racquet sports (tennis, platform tennis and pickleball), golf and other activities, including camp programs, she said. 

Boating fees, however, will not be increased until next year, according to Fava, but are now being reviewed to incorporate into the next budget season. At the Ned Dimes Marina, the department hopes to cover debt service, repair the fuel dock and replace piers, electrical panels and utilities with funds generated from the expected fee increases, she said.

Other changes in the fee structure include a new multi-pass system where residents can buy one three-sport racquet pass for tennis, platform tennis and pickleball. Those annual passes will cost $385 for an adult, $280 for seniors and $145 for juniors. Passes also still will be available for each of those individual racquet sports, Fava said. All passes include use of the Longshore or Staples High School pools, she added.

Cost of Longshore Golf Course greens fees and cart fees will remain the same as 2023 rates. Fees for charity golf outings in 2024 are $3,000 for a half day and $5,000 for a full day.

A problem commission members discussed at last Wednesday’s meeting is the misuse of town tennis courts by instructors who are paid by students for lessons, but are not paying extra for their extended use of the facilities for private instruction. 

Parks and Recreation Department staff found more than 50 people using municipal tennis courts to make money giving lessons without compensating the town, Carmen Roda, operations manager, told the commission. More staff are needed to regularly monitor the courts to prevent unauthorized use by instructors, he said.

Instructors must register with the department, provide insurance and sign a hold-harmless agreement, he said. The instructor pass has been increased from $200 to $400 for 2024.

Although commission members agreed with most of the fee increases, some were uncertain about raising fees for use of town facilities by charities for both half- and full-day events.

The cost increase is necessary, Fava told the commission, because “it’s trying to cover what revenue would be lost during tournaments when the general public can’t play.” 

Because some commission members remained concerned about pushback regarding higher fees for charities — calling them “uncharitable” — the panel agreed to the increases with the proviso that a broader discussion is planned on fees charged to nonprofits.

Also to be discussed again are pickleball fees, which both some members of the public and the commission thought may not need to be raised since pickleball is often played in pickup games and by older players.

The goal of the Parks and Recreation Department cost-recovery system is to recoup costs for the department’s services. 

In November 2022, the Board of Selectwomen approved an agreement with Amilia Technologies USA Inc. under a $2,000 annual contract and $300 monthly licensing fee for software to run the cost-recovery system for the Parks and Recreation Department. Last August, the selectwomen approved a range of higher fees as part of the cost-recovery efforts.

Freelance writer Gretchen Webster, a Fairfield County journalist for many years, was editor of the Fairfield Minuteman and has taught journalism at New York and Southern Connecticut State universities.