SNOHOMISH — If you want to reserve a picnic shelter or a baseball field in the city, you’ll now have to pay.
Thanks to nearly a third of all people who made reservations last year never showing up, and to a tight city budget, people wanting to ensure their spots on ball fields or picnic shelters at three city parks will have to pay a few dollars.
Otherwise, you can use the spaces free on a first-come, first-served basis, providing no one who paid is using it.
The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved collecting reservation fees for picnic shelters at Hill Park, 1610 Park Ave., a shelter at Ferguson Park, 1330 Ferguson Park Road, and for three baseball fields at Pilchuck Park, 169 Cypress Ave. The change was part of a schedule that gathered all the city’s various fees into a single document.
“We feel a small fee will help people remember the need to show up,” parks facility manager Mike Johnson said.
The fees will go into effect later this month.
Reservations for the small picnic shelters at Hill Park and Ferguson Park will cost $35 and the large picnic shelter at Hill Park costs $50.
People can reserve the shelters for a full day on weekdays and half-day on the weekends.
The baseball fields will rent for roughly $5 per hour, depending on the ages of the players, which field and other factors.
Reservations can be made beginning Feb. 1 by calling parks and recreation at 360-568-7070 or going to the city’s website. Reservations need to be made at least 10 days in advance.
In 2010, there were 82 reservations for Hill Park and 370 reservations for the baseball field at Pilchuck park. Eight different youth and adult baseball leagues used the fields, Johnson said.
The reservation schedules are posted at kiosks in the parks and are updated every Friday.
Money from the new fees will go to the general fund, which pays for city services like parks and police.
There is no projection of how much money the city might earn, city administrator Larry Bauman said.
Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com.
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