The Parks and Recreation Commission voted on May 15 to approve the fiscal year 2026 user fee schedule, a package of changes the department will forward to the city’s finance office and ultimately to city council as part of the budget process.

Why it matters: the schedule sets prices that affect pavilion renters, youth and adult sports organizations, tournament organizers, aquatics patrons and special-event promoters; several changes were defended by staff as either aligning fees with peer cities or covering actual service costs (for example, lifeguard staffing at swim meets).

Key changes and clarifications presented to the commission included:
- Pavilion rental blocks: Lake Pflugerville and Gillen Creek pavilions now include four‑hour rental blocks within an existing 12‑hour full-day reservation so more groups can access space for shorter periods.
- New facility rentals: Stonehill Pavilion (adjacent to a splash pad) was added to the rental schedule; staff said the fee will allow staff to contact renters and manage customer service in the event a splash-pad outage occurs.
- Wells Pointe fields: new fees were added for 5v5 fields for peak and non‑peak hours to reflect a new field configuration. Peak hours were defined in the presentation as after 5 p.m.; non‑peak is before 5 p.m.
- 1849 Park tournament/facility fee: staff reported that the updated facility fee for tournaments at 1849 Park would be $1,000 per hour for use of all fields as part of a tournament package; staff said the higher fee reflects the park’s premium status and added maintenance demands. Commissioners asked whether the new rate could affect competitiveness with nearby regional facilities.
- Overhours and lights: an “overhours” fee doubles the hourly charge for fields that exceed allocated hours; field-light fees will pass through utility costs to renters when lights are used.
- Escalating fines for unlocked gates: staff proposed a progressive fine schedule for organizations that repeatedly fail to secure fields and gates (first offense $100, escalating to larger fines and possible reduction of allocation hours). Staff said the change responds to past thefts and facility damage linked to unsecured access.
- Facility rental deposit: a new deposit (modeled on an existing Green Red Barn deposit) will be required for reserved facilities; deposits will be refunded if no damage or policy violations are found.
- Event impact fee: the department consolidated trail/event impact charges into a single permitted-event impact fee of $1 per participant, billed after an event based on verified attendance; staff said this replaces a previous $2 per‑participant charge for runs and extends a consistent approach to other permitted events.
- Mobile food units (pending policy): staff previewed a proposed mobile food‑unit policy and fees (annual registration, per‑day fees and long‑term lease options) that would apply to food trucks operating on city property. Staff said the fee schedule entry is contingent on adoption of the mobile food‑unit policy by the city.
- Aquatics: most admissions rose by $1 per staff’s fee study; swim-meet and swim-practice lifeguard fees were raised to reflect current staff pay; family season‑pass price was reduced in one instance after benchmarking showed Pflugerville was higher than peers.

In discussion commissioners raised concerns about tournament competitiveness, the magnitude of certain increases and clarity around peak hours and tournament definitions. Staff responded with comparisons to nearby facilities, explanations of maintenance and field-allocation rules (30‑hour maximum allocations, with overage charges), and a reminder that tournament-specific fees differ from hourly field fees.

Vote and next steps: A commissioner moved to approve the FY26 user fee schedule; another commissioner seconded. The motion was carried by voice vote and staff said the schedule will move to finance to be incorporated in the FY26 budget process and later to council for final adoption.

Speakers and staff presenting included Jeff and other parks staff. Several commissioners asked clarifying questions during the extended presentation.