Fees Increased for Tiny Tots, Youth Center Programs

Parents will be paying a little extra to register their kids for the Tiny Tots child care and youth center programs, as a result of fee increases adopted by the Pinole City Council Tuesday.

The council unanimously approved new fees that will effect in August. Both Tiny Tots and the Pinole Youth Center are operated by the city's recreation department, which by council direction last year must be entirely budget neutral.

The new rates would continue the practice of charging non-residents more than residents

As recommended by Pinole Recreation Director Amy Wooldridge, the higher fees would apply to the 2012-13 fiscal year budget.

The proposed monthly Tiny Tots fee for three days per week would be $189 for three mornings per week for Pinole residents and $220 for non-residents, representing a five percent increase. The monhtly cost would for three afternoons per week would be $157 for residents and $184 for non-residents. Enrollment for two days per week would be $105 for residents and $123 for non-residents. Those hikes are a six percent increase.

The changes for the after-school programs at the youth center arose out of concerns among parents that the city had been charging a uniform monthly fee without accounting for vacation periods in the school year. As a result, the fees would be adjusted depending on the month of enrollment.

The fees for the after-school program at the youth center would range from $90 per month in December to $159 per month from May to September for residents. Non-residents would pay $103 for December to $175 for May through September. The proposal represents a 6 percent increase and includes a transportation fee. It would be an annual revenue increase of $5,000.

The new fee schedule also includes increases for evening classes at the youth center, ranging from $15 to $30 per month, depending on the month and resident status.

The fee increases are needed to ensure full recovery of costs to run the programs, Wooldridge said.

The full fee schedule for recreation programs are included in the document attached to this article.