New fees for the new aspects of the Shawano Recreation Center, currently under renovation, passed the first glance Feb. 18 from the Shawano Park and Recreation Commission.
Existing fees are expected to remain the same for now, according to Matt Hendricks, park and recreation director, but those fees were passed three years ago and are expected to be reviewed at the end of 2026.
“We’re not creating new fees,” Hendricks said. “One of the big things we said when we opened this rec center was that, when it was reopened, we would stay consistent with our fee policy that was already approved and in place.”
The new computer lab will cost $10 per hour to rent out for special events, while the new classroom will cost $20 per hour during the week and $60 per hour Sundays with a minimum of two hours charged, because the center is usually closed on that day.
To reserve both the classroom and lab will require a $30 per hour fee, while reserving the classroom and pool is $40 per hour, with both deals being charged $60 per hour Sundays. To get all three — the classroom, lab and pool — users will have to pay $65 per hour during the week and $80 per hour Sundays.
“We tried to make it as simple as possible,” Hendricks said.
There will be no charge for reserving the office spaces under the revised fee schedule, and there is no charge during the week to reserve the multipurpose room during the week, although a $50 per hour fee is in place if someone wants to reserve the room Sundays.
Nonprofit organizations will be charged a lesser rate for reserving facilities, half the standard rate plus $5 for each hour. The fee schedule also added nonprofits to the private pool rental for $25 per hour during the week, but they will get no discount for reserving the pool Sundays, which currently has a fee of $60 per hour.
“We give nonprofits a pretty hefty break,” Hendricks said. “In fact, we don’t charge them for shelters or things like that in the park system. That’s our way of supporting them.”
Standard gym fees are going to remain as they are, but there will be a $10 monthly add-on for regular monthly users who want to have access 24 hours a day, something the recreation center has not offered before, Hendricks said. There will also be a $25 fee to replace a lost key fob.
The new showers will be open to the public to use, even if they don’t use the pool or gym. It would cost the daily facility fee of $3, but a punchcard option is available for $20, which is good for using the showers 15 times.
“We do have people who come in and just utilize our showers,” Hendricks said. “It could be folks who don’t have a home and need a shower, or it could be someone like me with my family where, if you travel and you camp, it’s nice to have a place to be able to clean up between hikes and park visits. You can just pay the daily fee and come use our showers, or if you’re going to be here for a few days, you can use them at a reduced rate.”
Hendricks noted that the fee schedule does not recoup all of the city’s costs to run the recreation center, nor should it. That would make the center a business instead of a community facility, he said.
“That’s not what public parks and recreation are about,” Hendricks said. “In fact, we view costs as a barrier. We want to reduce or remove barriers when we can. However, as outlined in the front of our policy, there’s some expectation of cost recovery, or if the facility is being used by a private group and not being used by the public, then there should be some kind of fee attached.”
The new fee schedule must still get a recommendation from the city finance committee before it goes before the Shawano Common Council on March 11.
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
