High school may set fees for use of tennis courts
In March and early April 2020, “the courts were jammed with a lot of people outside of New Canaan.”
Steve Benko, recreation director
NEW CANAAN — A fee to play on the New Canaan High School tennis courts? Absurd.
At least that was the reaction from Commissioner Francesca Segalas who raised concerns about Recreation Director Steve Benko’s recommendation. Benko hopes to charge residents $30 to $35 for a season pass for courts that have been free, to offset the cost for an attendant that he expects to cost $16,000 in the 202122 budget.
“I don’t like it. We have to pay for everything. It’s ridiculous,” Segales said. “You are going to charge people now so there is no place that people can play in town for free?”
In March and early April in 2020, prior to closing the courts due to COVID-19, “The courts were jammed with a lot of people outside of New Canaan,” Benko told the Parks and Recreation Commission at a recent meeting.
“People were coming in and taking the courts up for two or three hours,” not giving other people a chance to play, the recreation director said.
As a result, the town hired an attendant and implemented an online reservation system.
“We brought it back to residents, and we had people sign up online. We had about 600 residents sign up to reserve the courts,” Benko said. “It worked very well.”
Segalas was not convinced charging was a good idea.
“There are residents who have their kids visiting them for one weekend, and they want to play and they can’t because there’s a reservation system, which is ‘clubby.’ I don’t think it’s great,” Segales said.
She argued the town is making money on paddle tennis fees and could potentially make money on the Har-Tru tennis courts in Mead Memorial Park.
At Mead Park, “The season has been bad because we haven’t gotten the courts together early enough three years in a row,” Segales argued.
Benko estimated that 400 people would pay the new fee, which would bring the total recouped more than $12,000.
“You would offset a good portion of the attendant right there,” Commissioner Jack Hawkins said.
“I understand the reason for charging. There was so much use at the tennis courts. I would run there everyday and see it and a lot of New York plates,” Chairman Rona Siegel said.
“Let’s figure out an economical way for people to use it one time a year,” Seigel told Benko.
She suggested he explore a visitors pass and “bring it back” to the commission.
Commissioner Carl Mason asked Benko if there would be price break for people who pay to play tennis at Mead Park.
Benko said residents could probably pay an additional $10 more than the Mead Park fee, which was $100 for adults last season, to play at both venues.
The draft documents show the parks budget for 2021-22 at $1.84 million, 3.4 percent more than the $1.74 million budgeted for the 2020-21 fiscal year.
Some of the hike in expense is due to an increase in the minimum wage to $13 per hour, from $12, which will take effect July 31.