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Tax and Spend Tempe rulers shake people down for more money to use the park we paid for!
Even with a $1,000 rental-fee increase, officials say, it's a 'steal' Fee intended to return park to community by Jonathan J. Cooper published on Friday, February 23, 2007 It's about to get more expensive to host an event at Tempe Town Lake. The Tempe City Council agreed last week to raise park-use fees after a study of comparable facilities in other cities showed that Tempe's fees were considerably lower. Starting July 1, it will cost $1,000 a day to rent Tempe Beach Park for non-commercial use; $2,500 if organizers hope to make a profit. That's up from $250 and $500, respectively. "Our [current] fees are very low," said Travis Dray, Tempe's deputy Parks and Recreation manager. "Tempe Beach Park really is a steal. We're giving it away." Tempe's new fee is lower than those at seven other U.S. parks that city officials used as benchmarks, according to a report prepared for council members. Similar venues go for as much as $8,000 for commercial uses and $5,000 for non-commercial events. Tempe officials kept their fees low compared to other cities to avoid making too drastic an increase, Dray said. "We thought it was a happy medium," he said. Setup and cleanup fees will remain unchanged at $250 for non-commercial and $500 for commercial uses. Organizers also pay for police and other city support services. Event organizers can apply for financial support through the city's Scholarship Review Committee, which can discount city support services based on the event's community benefit, Dray said. At a council meeting last week, Mayor Hugh Hallman said the Tempe Town Lake area is overused and sometimes abused by out-of-town event promoters. "Tempe Beach Park has taken a terrible beating," Hallman said. "We're trying to get the funds necessary to get this back to a community park." The park hosted 94 events last year, i ncluding triathlons, marathons, concerts and fundraisers. About a dozen events were gated, allowing promoters to restrict access and sell tickets. Tempe will add a $1 surcharge per ticket at commercial gated events for park improvements. Reach the reporter at: jonathan.cooper@asu.edu. |