Recreation fees rise in Upper Freehold

UPPER FREEHOLD — Different recreational fees for residents and nonresidents will now be part of the township's general code, and neighboring Allentown is not happy about it.

At the Oct. 2 Township Committee meeting, the governing body voted unanimously to pass an ordinance adding a fee section to the Upper Freehold Township general code. Mayor Steve Alexander was not in attendance. At past meetings, committee members spoke about the cost to maintain the playing fields in the township.

The ordinance provides for an automatic fee increase on Jan. 1 of each year, and for an initial 5 percent increase over the 2008 fees, if applicable and permitted by law. The ordinance also allows, based upon the recommendation of the recreation director, for the committee to add to, amend or remove recreational programs and related fees.

The ordinance provides for township residents to receive a discounted fee for recreational programs. For summer camp, each resident will pay $225, while nonresidents must pay $235. Girls basketball camp will cost $85 for residents and $95 for nonresidents. Spring tennis lessons will cost resident youths $92, and nonresidents $107. Summer tennis lessons have a $10 differential for residents and nonresidents. The adult nine-hour tennis program will cost residents $105 and nonresidents $120.

The fees will be charged by the Upper Freehold-Allentown (UF-A) Little League, UF-A softball, UF-A Soccer Association and the Central Redbirds Pop Warner. The ordinance states that all sports organizations using township facilities will pay the township fees based on the number of participants registered at the time of use and upon execution of the use agreement. The fee for each resident participant is $10. Nonresident participants must pay a $15 fee.

Permit fees for use of athletic facilities by individual and travel teams are also included in the ordinance. Travel teams and organized groups that have residents making up between 50 percent and 80 percent of the membership will be charged Monmouth County resident or group rates. Fees will be charged in one and half hour blocks. For the Mark Harbourt Soccer Complex, and each of the three fields at the Byron Johnson Recreation Area, township residents will pay $50 per block per field, county residents or groups will pay $65 and noncounty residents or groups will pay $100. The baseball field will have the same use fees but will be made available for two and a half hour blocks.

Last month, the Borough Council of Allentown unanimously passed a resolution objecting to Upper Freehold's charging Allentown citizens $10 extra for using recreational facilities in the township. The resolution stated that the borough felt it was "unfair and inappropriate" to charge the additional fee, and "feels that the position in relation to unequal treatment amounts to unsportsmanlike conduct and treatment in reference to Allentown's citizens." The resolution also states that the extra fee adversely affects the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the borough of Allentown.