Foch disagrees with skate session increases

I don’t think that we should be increasing our fees for children to use our facilities by 20 and 25% for individual use…Ice skating is becoming an elitist sport where most families can’t afford it any longer. I think that it’s important to try to keep these fees low enough so that average median households at least can continue to send their kids and to enjoy these sports.”

Councilmember Tina Folch

The cannabis product retail license drops from $8,000 to $500 for the initial fee and first renewal. After that, license renewals would be $1,000.

Under the plan, water rates will increase 3.5%, sewer rates go up 4.5% and there will be a 4 % increase in the storm water fund.

Sewer and water access charges for new developments will increase.

The Hastings City Council voted to update the city fee schedule at its meeting Monday Dec. 18, but not until one councilmember voiced displeasure for increases in youth fees to skate at the Hastings Civic Ice Arena.
Included in the rate schedule was action on a utility rate review that was done earlier this year. Under the plan, water rates will increase 3.5%, sewer rates go up 4.5% and there will be a 4 % increase in the storm water fund.
Sewer and water access charges for new developments will increase. The sewer access charge increases from $708.75 per unit to $945 per unit. The water access charge rises from $2,306.25 to $2,957 per unit.
“These fee charge development-related infrastructure to the new development, rather than passing the costs along to utility customers,” a memo from Finance Manager Chris Eitemiller to the council states.
A new fee will be put in place also for people paying for city service with credit card. A 3.7 percent charge will be added to each credit card payment. This past year, the city paid $112,000 for credit card processing.
“By adding 3.7 percent to each credit card payment processed, the city will generate revenue to provide this service rather than needing tax revenues to offset these expenses,” said Eitemiller.
One large change is in cannabis licensing. The fees have to be changed because of provisions in state law when the state legislature legalized marijuana in Minnesota.
The cannabis product retail license drops from $8,000 to $500 for the initial fee and first renewal. After that, license renewals would be $1,000.
A cannabis cultivation license drops from $200 currently to no charge.
The ice arena charge changes would take effect July 1, 2024. The changes are:
Civic Arena dry floor rental, $85/hour to $90
All day, $780 to $900
Civic Arena ice rental:
Prime time, $215/hour to $220/hour
Birthday party package, $100 to $120
Public skate:
Ice skating, $5 to $6
Ice Hockey, $7.50 to $8
Freestyle, $10 to $12
Session book of 10, $40 to $50
Skate rental, $3 to $4
Councilmember Tina Folch felt those skate session increases were too much.
“The one thing I do continue to have some heartburn about is with the ice arena and just the fees for kids to be utilizing that facility,” said Folch. “I just want to make sure it’s affordable. We have a blue collar community. When you look at what our average median household is, it’s much less than the rest of Dakota County.”
While the fee increases may not look like much, by percentage, they’re fairly high.
“The ice skating, the current fee is $5, and we’re proposing to raise that to $6. You may be thinking, well, what’s a buck, but that’s a 20 percent increase. The session book of 10, we’re looking at going from $40 to $50. That’s a 25 percent increase. I think a lot of people are no longer wanting their kids to put on a pair of ice skates because it’s so darn expensive,” said Folch. “That’s a large increase. I was surprised to see that freestyle was going from $10 to $12. I think it’s fair to put a limit on how much that we’re increasing, particularly when they hit our kids.”
Councilmember Lisa Leifeld said that all the items had been discussed by committee, and she agreed with staff rationale for the fee changes.
“I’m going to defer to staff on this, and I would be in favor of sticking with what’s been presented to us,” she said.
Folch responded, “I don’t think that we should be increasing our fees for children to use our facilities by 20 and 25% for individual use…Ice skating is becoming an elitist sport where most families can’t afford it any longer. I think that it’s important to try to keep these fees low enough so that average median households at least can continue to send their kids and to enjoy these sports.”
After discussion, the fee schedule was approved as presented.