10/24/22 Aiken City Council Meeting Review, Part I

by Don Moniak 

October 25, 2022

At the twenty-eight minute mark of Monday night’s Aiken City Council meeting, City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh announced: 

“In talking with the PRT (Parks, Recreation and Tourism) director the daily fees for children or individuals eighteen and under starting November 1st will be removed.” 

The only caveat added to this statement was the necessity of a liability waiver form on file and signed by a parent and guardian.

The announcement was made during the first portion of “public comments on nonagenda items,” a new fixture in Aiken City Council meetings first implemented on September 12, 2022. Mr. Bedenbaugh related the fee waiver decision following questions by Aiken resident and city parks advocate Laura Lance regarding recreation fee policies for children and the city’s “Fun Funds” program:

“In part of tonight’s agenda (packet) there was an answer given to concerns and complaints about the two dollar fee for basketball for kids to go and use the facilities. The response in ‘Issues and Updates” reads ‘as has been the case since 1995 Fun Funds have been available for all eligible youth which waives the fees.’

“I don’t think that’s correct. If I am not mistaken Fun Funds are intended for classes….summer camp or a basketball team, then they might waive their fifty dollar fee. But I don’t think the Fun Funds are intended for one or two dollar fees that kids are being charged just to go to these facilities. To apply for those funds requires a twenty dollar registration fee….Something is not matching up.” 

The announcement that daily fees for children were being eliminated was met with applause and some relief—less than two months had passed since Aiken resident Laverne Justice had first voiced objections before Council to the $2 per day policy. 

Status of Adult and Annual Recreation Fees

However, at least two questions regarding the city’s recreation fees linger.

1. What is the status of fee increases implemented on April 1, 2022, but in apparent violation of city procedures?

As reported in “Taking $2 From a Child to Play a Game,” fee changes must be approved by City Council. Section 2-261 of the City of Aiken’s Municipal Code states: 

“All fees, rentals, admissions and other charges made to the public for the use of city recreational facilities shall be recommended by the director of parks and recreation, reviewed by the city manager and approved by the city council.” 

Fee increases were implemented in April based on recommendations from the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department to the Recreation Commission. Although it has no authority to change fees, the Recreation Commission voted to do so.

According to the document “Fee Proposal Changes” presented to the Recreation Commission on February 1, 2022–but never made public (1)—the maximum original annual fee was $125. At the urging PRT Director Jessica Campbell, the Recreation Commission voted to raise membership fees to as much as $400 for a family of four. According to the most recent edition of “The Park Bench,” these annual “Wellness Membership” fees remain in place.

2. Even though the change in youth fees is welcome, the question remains: who is in charge of finalizing recreation fees? At the August 16, 2022 Recreation Commission meeting, at least one commissioner acknowledged it was not in their purview to change rates:

“Commissioner Wallace  reminded members that they are expected to make recommendations to City Council, but are  not in a position to approve or disapprove of changes.”

Footnotes

(1) The original Parks, Recreation and Tourism (PRT) “Fee Proposal Changes” document was presented to the Recreation Commission during its special meeting on February 1, 2022; a meeting for which there was no proper public notice. No record of that meeting was publicly available until mid September.

The “Fee Proposal Changes” were not included in the Feburary 28, 2022, “Issues and Update” memorandum in City Council’s Meeting Agenda Packet that served as notification to City Council of fee changes. The document was not publicly available until a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request compelled the city to post it. It is now buried in the city’s Laserfiche document repository at

https://edoc.cityofaikensc.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=2757514&dbid=0&repo=City-of-Aiken-LF

FOIA Request #254-2022, filed on September 20, 2022, requested:

“1. A copy of the “ draft copy of the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism (PRT) Fee Change Proposal” provided at the February 1, 2022 Recreation Commission meeting. Meeting minutes for that meeting indicate this document was provided. This document was requested on September 16, 2022 in a letter to PRT Director Jessica Campbell and City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh. The document should be readily accessible. 2. A copy of the final PRT Master Plan Report and Needs Assessment by Clemson University professor Bob Brookover. Please advise if there is no final copy and whether the draft that was provided in City Council’s January 10, 2022 Workshop agenda packet is the current version. 3. A copy of the online survey cited in the Master Plan Report. 4. A copy of all park usage data provided to Professor Brookover and his research associates during preparation of the report.”

The “Fee Change Proposal” and a clean copy of the PRT Master Plan were provided on October 4, 2022. They are currently in the city’s Lasefiche ecodoc repository.

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City Solicitor Laura Jordan’s response to #3 and #4 of the request was as follows:

“For Item No. 3, the requested item is an online survey. The survey is no longer active online and the City is not in possession of a copy of the survey. For Item No. 4, Professor Brookover was provided the link to the Monthly Reports, which are available at the City of Aiken’s Document Repository (LaserFiche). Once the Laser Fiche page has been accessed, click on the “Browse” link in the upper right hand corner. From there, click on the “Parks and Recreation” Folder and then then “Monthly Reports” Folder.’”