Minneapolis park budget would raise golf fees

The proposed 2016 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board budget would raise the cost of golf at six courses, including Hiawatha.

Minneapolis parks Superintendent Jayne Miller has proposed a 2016 budget that seeks 4.4 percent more in property taxes, raises the cost of golf at six courses and plants fewer young trees to prune more of those already planted.

The proposed fee increase ranges from $1 to $3 per round at Columbia, $1-2 at Wirth’s 18-hole course and $1 at its nine-hole course, $1 to $2 at the nine holes at Hiawatha, and $1 at Fort Snelling.

The proposed fees represent the first time the park system has gone to a pricing strategy that charges customers more at prime courses, which Miller said are underpriced compared with competing courses.

The move to increase fees comes as Meadowbrook and Hiawatha courses still haven’t been renovated after extensive storm damage from heavy rains and flooding in 2014, which is projected to result in a $717,000 loss in golf revenue this year.

Meanwhile, Miller proposed to trim tree planting in 2016 by 850 trees, or nearly 10 percent.

The proposed capital budget also taps for the first time some of the money collected under a park dedication fee that began in 2014 and is starting to accumulate money from new construction projects.

The budget adds eight jobs to this year’s budget, or a net increase of 38 people since Miller’s first budget in 2012.