<\/p>\n
Services director Tommy Scott said the roofing for the recreation center is almost completed.<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY NICOLE DROEGER<\/p>\n
MURDOCK \u2014 The Charlotte County Commission approved, 4-1, a fee schedule Wednesday for renting out the Port Charlotte Beach Park Recreation Center.<\/p>\n
The facility was damaged by hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024. The county is completely rebuilding both buildings with a \u201csubstantial\u201d completion date of Dec. 24. The recreation center will not be open for operations until spring 2027.<\/p>\n
The center will provide more than 6,000 square feet of indoor rental space, a kitchen and an outdoor deck. Outdoor facilities at the complex include boat ramps, picnic space, sport courts and a heated swimming pool.<\/p>\n
The current rental fee is based on square footage used and charges per hour.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The current fee schedule to rent out the beach community center.<\/p>\n
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE COUNTY GOVERNMENT<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is pretty much universally applied throughout all of the facilities,\u201d services director Tommy Scott said. \u201cIt really doesn\u2019t have any real guidance towards a structure that might be on the waterfront.\u201d<\/p>\n
The proposed fee schedule will be based on room use per day. It will include dynamic pricing that differentiates between seasons, for-profit and nonprofit businesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve already had people who were inquiring about rentals for it,\u201d Scott said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The outlined proposed fee schedule to rent out the beach community center.<\/p>\n
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE COUNTY GOVERNMENT<\/p>\n
Chairman Joseph Tiseo said the pavilion space underneath the facility has space for future events.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to somehow fold that into this schedule of uses and who can use it,\u201d Tiseo said.<\/p>\n
Scott offered to return with potential changes to the fee schedule.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a rentable space, we want to really let demand ride how we\u2019re going to navigate that,\u201d Scott said.<\/p>\n
Scott also offered to return with proposed half-day rates.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want you to understand that the rationale specifically went to a larger full day,\u201d Scott said. \u201cIt will potentially create a position where we\u2019re only reaping half days instead of potentially getting the full.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to have a higher number than what you think for half a day because we\u2019re going to lose efficiencies,\u201d Commissioner Bill Truex said.<\/p>\n
Commissioner Stephen R. Deutsch wanted to keep the hourly fee schedule rate.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I was running a breakfast in the morning, I really wouldn\u2019t want to have to pay for the whole thing all day if I know I\u2019m gonna be out of there in three hours,\u201d Deutsch said.<\/p>\n
Commissioners voted to approve the resolution to repeal the formal schedule and adopt the revised schedule outline. Deutsch is the only commissioner that opposed the resolution.<\/p>\n
Scott will return with modifications in a future meeting.<\/p>\n