Greensboro Plan2Play Parks and Recreation Master Plan 2019

74 - FEBRUARY 2019

Affordability and Pricing

fair market value of the programs offered by the Department. As explained in the following section, Greensboro’s current pricing is well below fair market value in many program areas. This allows the Department to provide programming opportunities that many residents would otherwise not be able to access due to higher pricing in the community. In the future, it will be important to balance program quality with equitable access and revenue generation goals.

On average, the Department is 60% below fair market value for their indoor sports programs, 37% below fair market value for their outdoor sports programs, and 34% below fair market value for their facility rental rates. Figure 46 displays the percent above or below fair market value the Department is for their athletic programs and facility rental rates: Similarly, the Department is 47% below fair market value for their youth services/ recreation programs, 14% below fair market value for their environmental programs,

In recent years, many park and recreation agencies have moved toward “outcome- based management,” which emphasizes the services the Department provides and their benefits to the community and to quality of life. This management approach echoes Greensboro’s overall philosophy to provide important services to the community and partner in meeting residents’ needs, from the basic to aspirational. The Department is seeking to balance community accessibility and affordability with important cost recovery factors that allow it to be sustainable and equitable. Understanding pricing levels is an important factor in striking this balance, particularly as Greensboro’s offerings and prices compare to private providers or other public providers in the region. To better understand the value of services offered by the Department relative to fair market value, a broad spectrum of pricing for programming services was gathered from private service providers and other public agencies. This helped determine the

0% Below Fair Market Value Above Fair Market Value

-34%

-37%

-60% Indoor Sports

Outdoor Sports

Rental Rates

Figure 46. Department programs above/below fair market value.