I regret the Feb. 4 Beachcomber news brief did not tell the full story with regard to the recent vote concerning user fees. (“Park says no again to increasing user fees.”)

While the original motion that was defeated in December would have resulted in $15,000 less revenue, the new motion had a price tag of only $5,500. It would have become a $3,500 increase in revenue had the board voted to amend the propoosal and eliminate decreased pool fees, as was requested by Scott Bonney and the Friends of the Vashon Pool group.

In response to Bill Ameling’s assertion at the previous meeting that I was trying to punish the fields users, I reminded him the motion also increased fees for non-field users who were paying proportionately less than the users of Ober Park, the pool and Paradise Ridge. More importantly, the actual proposed increased cost, when added to the total cost to participate in youth soccer, the largest user group, was only 2 to 3 percent, and for lacrosse approximately 1 percent. These very modest increases, while making the fee structure more equitable for all, hardly could have been considered “punishment” for anyone.  It should be noted that Hans VanDusen, the president of the soccer association, was neutral on the motion, neither opposing or supporting it.

What is more noteworthy is that after the proposed increase, all users still would be paying significantly less than the groups had agreed to pay in January 2013, after which Bill Ameling, Joe Wald and Lu-Ann Branch joined David Hackett in reversing a previous motion thereby reducing fees for these groups, while ignoring an agreement the park district had had with Paradise Ridge for 20 years. This happened only two months after the park district had to confront a financial crisis of the board’s own making, which resulted in staff reduction and a near loan default.

— Scott Harvey