Report Prepared by: Diana Olmos, Administrative Assistant, Parks and Recreation
Title
SUBJECT: 2024 Adult Basketball Season Updates
REPORT IN BRIEF
Updates on adult basketball supports, partnerships, fees, and season will be provided.
RECOMMENDATION
Information only-no action required
Body
DISCUSSION
Supports and Partnerships
Each Spring, Parks & Community Services hosts an Adult Recreation Basketball League. The league is supported by a Joint Use Agreement with Merced Union High School District for the use of gyms at Merced High School and El Capitan High School. Joint Use Agreements are typically established through the dedication of one-time funding from partnering agencies. In this case, the City of Merced assisted with the funding of El Capitan High School gymnasiums at the time of the schools construction. Parks & Community Services also leverages a contract with Merced Area Sports Officiating (MASO) who provides officials, referees, and umpires for the various sports offered to residents. This is an outside organization that is not directly affiliated with the City but is a contracted services provider.
Fees
Over the course of the last 3 years, expenses far outpaced revenues to cover the cost of operating recreation programs. In 2023, the Department requested permission to raise program and facility fees to account for increasing minimum wage, material, and equipment expenses. Team registration fees were raised to $600 per team for adult sports. Because fees had not been adjusted since 2009, the Department received ongoing comments concerning the increase. Although understandable, teams are expected to field a minimum of 10 players when registering. This breaks down to $60 per player. The department fees for registering a student for youth sports is $80. The fees cover the cost of the MASO contract for officials, recreation staff supervision, coordination and weekly score keepers as well as equipment. Due to raising costs of wages, equipment, and...
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