Agenda 02-10-2026; 2 - Presentation of Fee Study for Emergency Services, Planning & Inspections, and Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR)

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14 Environment, Agriculture, Parks, and Recreation The Department of Environment,Agriculture, Parks, and Recreation is responsible for conserving and managing the County's "green infrastructure," including natural areas, parks and recreation facilities, water resources, and agricultural and cultural resource lands. DEAPR also delivers environmental education, athletics, and recreation programming that supports physical health, stewardship, and community connection. The user fee study for DEAPR focused on fee-supported recreation and program activities, including youth and adult athletics, classes, camps, preschool and after school programs, special events, and select administrative charges such as alcohol permits. The model indicates that these fee-based services cost approximately$1.30 million per year to provide. Current fees generate about $419,600 in annual revenue, which results in a cost recovery rate of approximately 32% and an annual subsidy of about $879,700. For the Parks & Recreation Division (Division), MGT will make one recommendation regarding fee recovery related to the alcohol permit. The remainder of the analysis below is designed to provide decision-makers with an informed basis for determining the appropriate suggested cost recovery levels for each program. Based on the analysis performed,youth athletics, clinics and classes are currently recovering approximately 46% of costs while adult athletics, clinics, and classes are recovering approximately 10% of costs. This means that the County is currently subsidizing adult activities more than youth activities on a percentage basis. The subsidy of these programs in dollars is approximately $150,000 and $186,000 for youth and adult activities, respectively. This does not include recreation classes that are provided by the Division, which is currently recovering approximately 15% of costs, or a subsidy of$134,000. After school, preschool, and summer camps are recovering on average 40% of total costs. MGT would also like to highlight the administration of alcohol permits currently costs the Department approximately $242 to process per permit, while the current fee is $30. The County should strongly consider setting the fee for alcohol permits to $240 to recover approximately 100% of County costs associated with the permitting process. This recommendation falls in line with other permitting type fees as described in the Planning and Inspections section below. Through conservations with the Division,there are several agreements or adjustments made within the fee schedule which are partially attributable to the lower cost recovery of certain activities. Some of these agreements include the following: ♦ A lease agreement with Orange Tennis Club to pay the County 25% of real rental costs for tennis courts and light usage. ♦ No fee, daily or monthly, for drop in programming at the Central Recreation Center. This includes badminton, basketball, and pickleball. ♦ A lease agreement with Hillsborough Youth Athletic League to pay the County 25% of the real rental costs for ballfields and light usage. ♦ Youth participants enrolled in the Orange County Schools with a copy of their reduced or free lunch certificate received a 25% fee reduction for participation in certain programming. But this fee reduction is not available for afterschool, summer camp and preschool. ♦ DSS covers up to $250 of the cost for children in various DSS programs through the Youth Enhancement Fund. The County absorbs the expense of these children without adding any revenue to the department. MCIT PAGE 10