Greenwich Parks And Recreation Fee Changes Proposed For 2025

GREENWICH, CT — As the final month of 2024 progresses, the Board of Selectmen is considering Parks & Recreation fee changes for 2025.

Assistant Director of Parks & Recreation Daniel Carlsen went before the board last week to present the proposed fee schedule, which features minimal increases in some areas for the new year.

"Our fee changes are determined on a number of factors. We make sure to review our expenses of last year, we look forward into seeing what minimum wage increases and labor costs that we have to deal with, as well as comparisons to other similar operations in municipalities," Carlsen told the board. "We also want to strive and make sure everybody knows that we try to strike a balance between managing these rising costs while still ensuring access to our programs for everybody. We really want to make this accessible for everybody within town and I think our staff does an excellent job of balancing that."

The selectmen did not take a vote and will wait to gather feedback on the proposed fee changes. A vote is expected during the Dec. 12 Board of Selectmen meeting.

The proposed fee schedule can be found here, and residents can reach out to Parks & Rec. with questions or comments.

Notably, beach passes are proposed to stay the same price in 2025.

Those with non-Greenwich registered vehicles would have to pay $225 per vehicle up from $200 for a parking sticker.

First Selectman Fred Camillo said it was "not a big difference," and that "I think in other towns, they're a little bit more than that. We try to stay under other municipalities whenever we can."

Various camp fees are proposed to increase, as well as tennis and baseball instruction, rental for the Dorothy Hamill Rink and Western Greenwich Civic Center, marine and facility operations, and the Griffith E. Harris Golf Course.

Selectperson Janet Stone McGuigan asked if rental charges for nonprofits would hurt certain organizations, but Carlsen said nonprofits were previously incorporated into a higher fee rate.

"This is the first year that we broke out a fee for them separately at a much lower rate. They were always paying at the higher rate, and then we decided to try to help out with the local community, to separate them out and get them at a lower rate," Carlsen said. "To your point, they don't have a lot of revenue generation, they do a lot for the community, so it didn't look that way on paper but it's actually a benefit."

The selectmen thanked Parks & Rec. for their work.

"We do this every year. Some fees didn't go up, other ones went up minimally. I know you take great pains to make sure that we're not pricing ourselves above other municipalities," Camillo said. "I know a lot of work goes into this."