After a trip back to the drawing board, Brooksville Director of Recreation David Howard shared a new fee structure for Chinsegut Hill and other facilities during a recent meeting of the Brooksville City Council.
In June, City Manager Ron Snowberger presented a fee schedule for Chinsegut Hill, as well as for the use of the city’s pickleball courts and the placement of banners in City parks.
All three rental schedules became sticking points for the Council, which directed Howard to revise the fee schedule. The panel was particularly concerned that fees for using facilities at the Chinsegut Hill Retreat and Conference Center were too low. “I don’t think we can rent the full cottage for $70 a night,” Council member Christa Tanner said. “It’s no shock to anybody that this has to make fiscal sense, but we need to be in that sweet spot, and $70 ain’t it.”
Under the new fee schedule, the single room per night rate is $95, and the single cottage per night rate is $380. Conference room rates are scheduled at $30 per hour during the workweek or $150 for the full day. The full-day weekend conference room rate is $250. Weekday dining hall rates are $250 per day during the week and $350 for a full day during the weekend. Rates for the dining hall and kitchen rental are $70 per hour during the week or $350 for the entire day. The weekend dining hall and kitchen rental rate is $450 a day. Rental of the front or back lawn is $850 for the full day during the week and $1,550 during the weekend. The “I Do” Tree /Stairway may be rented for $350.
Because the Chinsegut is a popular spot for those hosting weddings, Council member Christa Tanner asked if package rates would be available for those events. “Yes, [package rates] are something we have already considered,” Howard replied. “What we wanted to do here is get a baseline approved for where to start.”
Howard also said that with the acquisition of Hernando Park later this year, the per hour rental rate for the pickleball courts there will be set at $20 per hour. “The pickleball courts already have two or three tournaments waiting for the pickleball fee to be established,” Howard told the panel.
Meanwhile, rates for advertising banners in youth or adult ball fields are $500 for large 4-foot-by 8-foot banners and $600 for advertising banners placed in tennis and pickleball courts.
Finally, Council members approved the modified rate schedule by a vote of 5-0.
