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City Council, shown meeting in May at the Pleasantville Recreation Center, voted this week to change its fee structure for use of the rec center, saying it would be more in line with what other towns charge.
Our Lady Star of The East Church in Pleasantville hosted its 10th annual Lebanese Festival on Saturday. Video by Matthew Strabuk, for The Press.
PLEASANTVILLE — City Council enacted a series of changes to recreation facilities Monday, changing fees and creating new amenities for members of the community.
The first ordinance council adopted creates a new, differential fee structure to use the Pleasantville Recreation Center largely based on whether one lives in the city. Under the new system, residents will pay $50 for an I.D. card needed to use the rec center, while non-residents will pay $75 per card. Sports leagues not sponsored by the city that use the rec center gymnasium must pay a daily fee of $500, plus an additional $100 per hour if they use the facility for more than three hours. They are required to issue a security deposit of 50% of their fees upon application to use the facility. There is a limit of six weeks for reserving the facilities, to be changed upon the discretion of the recreation superintendent.
Similarly, residents who want to participate in the rec center’s summer camp program must pay a $25 application fee and a $150 general fee. They also must produce proof of residence. Those who are not residents must pay the same $25 application fee but a $225 general fee.
These charges for rec center facilities come alongside new charges surrounding field use. Sports leagues sponsored by a business must rent at a rate of $250 per week. Leagues that are not sponsored by a business can pay $200 per week to rent.
One resident questioned whether the city was charging enough for the use of its fields, arguing the city could be collecting higher rents. Mayor Judy Ward said the rates being charged were comparable to those charged by other nearby municipalities. Councilman Stanley Swan said the new fee structure would keep the city current with what is typically charged for those kinds of facilities.
“We looked at it and saw that we weren’t making any money and we needed to bring ourselves up to whatever century we’re in,” Swan said. “We were charging half as much, and we brought it up to where everyone else is.”
A local diversity program that has attracted statewide praise is having its leadership disrupted.
Council also awarded a $14,450 contract to Iaconelli Contracting Company Inc. to install a new professional boxing ring in the rec center. The contract is being awarded under a Community Development Block Grant, which is a program developed by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to support community initiatives.
The rec center ordinance also includes a clause establishing new fees for participating in boxing programs. Amateur boxers who are residents are to pay a $50 annual fee to participate in the program, while nonresident amateur boxers will pay $75. Professional boxers will face a steeper fee, with resident professionals paying $200 per year and nonresident professional boxers paying $250 annually.
Apart from the rec center, council adopted a resolution making technical alterations to its appropriation of a $1.6 million grant to develop the Bayview Avenue Waterfront Park, also known as the old Jokers Field. Specific language issued by the state had to be incorporated in the city resolution appropriating the grant, which was awarded to the city by the state Department of Environmental Protection via its Green Acres program.
These long-term investments in recreation are complemented by several community events the city is sponsoring in the coming weeks. Council authorized Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers to hold a “health day” from 2 to 5 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Pleasantville Bus Station. Hygiene kits and vaccinations against COVID-19 will be made available.
There will be a Halloween celebration for city children ages 1 to 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 21 in the City Hall parking lot. Preregister by calling the city's office of Parks and Recreation at 609-484-3608 or 609-484-3627.
Ward said that on Oct. 17, the city and the state Motor Vehicle Commission will host an event with social services providers and other public agencies. The event will be held at City Hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. She said it was an opportunity to connect with useful community resources.
In other business, council introduced an ordinance requiring property owners to install a new backflow-prevention device on their properties where the elevation of the upstream manhole is greater than that of the building sewer fixtures. City Administrator Linda Peyton said the ordinance would help hold property owners, rather than the city, responsible for damages arising from failing to put in the proper check valve to prevent backflow.
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City Council, shown meeting in May at the Pleasantville Recreation Center, voted this week to change its fee structure for use of the rec center, saying it would be more in line with what other towns charge.
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