City fees stay relatively stable for 2005

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- As it embarks on running the Sales Tax Referendum facilities -- Civic Center, Community Center and Vogel Fieldhouse -- for a second, full year, the Park and Recreation Department proposed very few significant changes in its fee schedule for 2005.

In fact, only three fee additions or deletions apply to the STR facilities. Otherwise, changes mostly involve a standard 3-percent annual bump for a number of Park and Rec and other city fees.

You could call it sort of a basic, "cost-of-living" increase that has been the norm, as far as city government goes, in recent years.

For example, while rent for dry floor shows at the Civic Center is being increased 3 percent, a new $25 fee will be charged to cover the cost of floor paint needed for "post-show" touch-ups.

On the other hand, Park and Rec is eliminating the additional $20 flat fee for using the kitchen at the Community Center when renting the cafetorium. "Since most users of cafetorium use the kitchen, it is prudent they be combined into one fee," the staff wrote. The fee for using the cafetorium is being increased 3 percent.

At the fieldhouse, Park & Rec is instituting a two-tier fee system for using the indoor pool. The lower fee will be for use of the pool when the slides aren't operating, and the higher fee will be for using the pool when the slides are in operation. The department noted availability of lifeguards will be "one of the main factors" in determining when the slides will be operated, necessitating the higher fee.

So, in 2005, youth and senior citizens will pay a daily pool-use fee of $2.25 or $3.25 while all other adults will pay $3.25 or $4.25. A season-single resident pass will increase from $100 to $103 while a season-single nonresident pass will go from $105 to $108.

There is little change in the New Ulm Public Library fee policy as renting a meeting room by a non-public body will stay at $10 per meeting. As in the past, a $10 deposit is required to guarantee compliance with meeting-room use requirements.

The city's schedule of licenses, permits, fees and miscellaneous charges will remain pretty much untouched by fee increases for 2005. The bulk of the increases are in airport rentals and cemetery fees and charges.

Rental of a small hangar at the airport will go from $65 a month or $744 annual, with a two-year lease, to $68 and $972, respectively. A large hangar increases from $96 a month or $924 annual to $101 a month or $1,152 annual.

The most extensive increases involve the cemetery. The cost of a regular plot will increase $50 to $450. The cost of grave openings during both regular hours and holidays and weekends will increase by $50 to $450. The cost of grave openings for cremations doubles to $250. Added to the fee schedule are Columbarium Niches which, depending upon location, range from $675 to $750.

Ron Larsen can be e-mailed at rlarsen@nujournal.com