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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — AUGUST 15, 2011 7 Finance and Administrative Services Director Iverson recommended that the amount of the tax not be included in the quoted fees. She also pointed out that non - profit organizations would be tax exempt. City Administrator Klaers asked if it is typical for cities to have four separate fee categories. Parks and Recreation Director Olson responded that typically there is only a resident / non- resident fee structure. Councilmember Tamble questioned the number of inquiries last year for non - profit rentals. He also asked if having a flat fee structure would be a time -saver for staff. Parks and Recreation Manager Olson approximated that 50 — 75% of the City rentals are under the non - profit category. Having just two fee categories would be simpler, but if we require proof of non - profit status to qualify for a non - profit rate, it wouldn't be that difficult. Discussion ensued and the Council consensus was to keep the existing fee categories. Finance and Administrative Services Director Iverson asked if the Council anticipates any changes made this evening will be included in the 2011 Fee Schedule or simply incorporated in the 2012 Fee Schedule. Mayor Grant responded that any changes can be incorporated in the 2012 Fee Schedule. He also stated he believes the non - resident fees, including non - profit non - resident, should be increased. Parks and Recreation Manager Olson stated the PTRC also looked at youth field and adult field use fees. The majority of the youth field use is by associations such as the Shoreview Area Youth Baseball (SAYB) and the North Suburban Soccer Association (NSSA). In the past, the City has asked for donations toward field improvements but has never charged for practices or games. This year the NSSA has committed to donating $8,000 for a park improvement project at Hazelnut. She stated that the associations use the fields April through August. She explained that Staff researched fee schedules for youth and adult field use for surrounding cities / organizations. The majority of the youth field use is by associations. After discussions with the PTRC, the members decided they did not want to charge a general facility fee for youth fields use. However, the members did recommend that a permit be required at an average cost of $5.00 per field to be charged at the beginning of the year. Mayor Grant and Councilmember Tamble both stated the $5.00 fee is too cheap. Parks and Recreation Manager Olson commented that Arden Hills is one of the last communities to institute a charge for field use. She also explained that a lot of the cities have gone to a four hour block rental rate, rather than an hourly rate, which helps from an administration standpoint. Mayor Grant suggested the City set the fee for field use at $7.50. The Council consensus was to set the youth field use fees at $7.50 per four hour time block.