By NICK BUDD
Hays Post

At Thursday’s Hays City Commission work session, Hays Parks Director Jeff Boyle said despite a decrease in the number of golf tournaments at the city golf course, the city made more money due to increased fees.

In 2014, 16 tournaments were held at Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course, in comparison to an average of 21 to 22 a year. In January of last year, the commission approved a flat $15-per-player tournament green fee. Previous fees varied from $2.50 to $8.33 depending on the number of holes and days of the tournament.

The increase resulted in a total revenue of approximately $18,000, a $9,000 increase when compared to what the old fee schedule would have brought in.

“We were averaging about $6.73 on the old fee schedule,” Boyle said. “I think it was successful and city staff is not recommending any changes.”

Boyle also said a lot of the tournaments are “tee-time” tournaments, which allow members to still use the course while a tournament is going on. Outgoing Commissioner Ron Mellick noted the city needs to keep an eye on fees in other communities to ensure Hays doesn’t fall behind.

Boyle also reported on the idea of implementing a $50 to $70 family pass at the two pools in Hays. The idea was brought to the city by a local resident. Boyle said the city wouldn’t make nearly as much money if a family pass was implemented.

According to agenda materials, if a $50 to $70 family pass was offered to everyone with two or more family members, it could create a 20 percent to 37 percent loss in revenue. Based on projections from last year, a family pass would need to be at least $140 and would only benefit a family of five or more in order for the city to break even.

The pool does offer a reduced rate of $15 per person for low-income families.

“Our recommendation is to not have the family pass for now,” Boyle said. “I think it’s something we could monitor and make something work in the future, but right now, we just won’t gain anything.”