LAWRENCE: Township Council approves increase in recreation fees

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   With very little fanfare, Township Council gave final approval to an ordinance that would raise the fees for some of the summer programs offered by the township Recreation Department.
   The fees for most programs have not been increased in about two years, according to township officials. But the township cannot justify large subsidies by taxpayers to fund the programs, and that’s why the fees are being raised.
   The fee for the summer lacrosse program will increase from $40 to $60, and the summer teen basketball program is going up from $30 to $45. The safe sitter program is increasing from $20 to $35, and the Safety Town program is going from $50 to $55.
   For the half-day playgrounds program, the fee is going up from $135 to $160, if parents sign up by May 15. After that date, the fee is $185. The full-day playgrounds program is increasing from $200 to $225, if parents sign up by May 15. After the deadline, it will cost $250.
   The art and theater summer camp program is increasing from $90 to $160 for the half-day program. The full-day program is going to cost $225. The sports camp fee is going up from $35 to $160 for the half-day program and $225 for the full-day program. Each camp session is two weeks long.
   The Recreation Department had offered a two-hour sports clinic, but the sports camp will be offered on a half-day or full-day basis, said Steven Groeger, the township’s Superintendent of Recreation. That’s why the fee has increased from $35.
   The travel camp for township residents is going to cost $250 per week, up from $225. The fee for travel camp for non-residents is going to cost $325, up from $275, according to the ordinance.
   The ordinance also raises the fee for swimming pool memberships. The family membership fee for the summer is increasing from $75 to $90, and the fee for an individual membership for the summer is going up from $40 to $50.
   Acknowledging that some families may not be able to pay the full fee, township officials said scholarships are available if families meet certain guidelines. Last summer, 91 scholarships were handed out.
   The ordinance stipulates that qualified participants in the playground and sport and art/theater camps would be assessed a minimum of 20 percent of the program’s fee. Travel camp participants would have to pay a minimum of $100 per week.
   In the past, the Recreation Department offered a full refund if a child withdrew from a program. The ordinance revises the policy, so that a partial refund is made if a child withdraws from a program before it starts. There would be no refund if a child pulls out after the program has started.