The Highland Village Parks and Recreation Advisory Board voted Nov. 1 to recommend a set of changes to parks and recreation fees, forwarding staff proposals to the City Council with several board‑approved exceptions.

At the meeting, Assistant Director of Recreation Andrea Foreman presented market comparables and usage data for pavilions, camping, park passes and courts. Foreman said fee changes are adopted by city council resolution and must be published in the city's official fee schedule.

After discussion, a board member moved to forward Foreman's recommendations with the following exceptions: set the senior nonresident annual Park Pass fee to $75 (down from $100); set the DoubleTree Ranch Park nonresident hourly pavilion rate to $80; set Unity Park/Kid's Castle nonresident hourly pavilion rate to $50 (with adjusted daily caps); increase the pickleball nonresident hourly rental fee to $10; and do not adopt a separate "lights" fee category for evening pickleball reservations. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote; individual roll‑call votes were not recorded in the minutes.

The changes the board agreed to forward to council reflect the staff rationale to balance resident access and revenue generation. Foreman recommended moving some large pavilion sites from fixed half‑day/full‑day blocks to an hourly model (two‑hour minimum) to increase flexibility for users and to capture more rental opportunities on days now underused. Staff showed DoubleTree Ranch Park as the most heavily used pavilion and explained hourly pricing would create additional booking slots while a recommended daily cap would limit the all‑day rate.

On camping, staff recommended a single annualized nightly rate for Pilot Knoll: $35 per night for residents and $45 for nonresidents, aligned with comparable nearby sites. The board expressed support for a modest increase to camping fees and for monitoring occupancy after implementation.

Board members also discussed marketing and operational supports that staff will pursue to increase resident bookings (for example, better online photos and QR codes on site signage) and cautioned about staff capacity to manage a larger art or events program if that work grows.

The board approved the motion by voice vote. Earlier in the meeting the board also approved the minutes from its Aug. 18, 2025 regular meeting by motion and second.

What’s next: staff will prepare a formal recommendation package and proposed fee ordinance/resolution for City Council consideration and will continue marketing efforts to increase awareness of rentable park spaces and program changes.