Rec fees expected to rise

Laura Sturza

Budget cuts to adjust to city and state shortfalls are expected to

cost residents more when they sign up for city recreation programs.

“The impacts of the state’s [budget crisis] is going to have a

more serious impact than people realize,” Park, Recreation and

Community Services Director Mike Flad said. “Increases in fees and

reductions in programs are going to reach Burbank.”

The department is planning to raise the price of adult admission

to the Starlight Bowl from $5 to $7, the first fee change since 2000.

Swimming fees will go from $1 to $2 for children younger than 13,

$1.50 to $3 for people younger than 19.

“I think that’s reasonable,” said Janet Moore, the mother of two

children who have taken swimming classes since they were infants.

But she took issue with another rate hike on swimming lessons,

which her family stopped attending because of past increases.

Examples of the new costs for swimming lessons include classes that

would go from $24 to $30, and from $30 to $40.

The changes still need to be reviewed by the City Council. If

approved in April, they could go into effect by Summer, Flad said.

“We looked at [whether] the service is still affordable,” Flad

said. “We set our fees based on what’s affordable and what’s

reasonable. Our fees have always been so reasonable that we’re still

well below what most other cities charge for services.”

Though the price of classes that are offered for $20 to $100 are

expected to go up 10%, Vicki Keltner thinks they are still a

bargain. Her 16-year-old daughter Brice has studied stand-up comedy

with Michael Schwartz through the city’s program. Other classes she

considered sending Brice to charge $200 to $300, she said.

“You can’t even find what he offers [elsewhere] -- instruction,

encouragement and stage experience,” Keltner said. “He got her to be

a professional. She has performed at three major comedy clubs,

including, Pasadena’s Ice House.”

Other expected fee changes include raising fees for senior

programs like bingo from $1 to $2, and charging $5 more monthly for

after-school child care, which would bring the rate from $110 to

$115.