VALPARAISO | Golf fees are going up about 3 percent in 2009, but most other parks program fees will remain unchanged for the new year.

The city's Park Board voted Tuesday to approve the new fee structures. The golf increases will range from 50 cents to $3 for daily play while the cost of a season pass will increase more.

Newly hired Golf Director Mike Hainline said the increases were the first in three years. He said the season passes will be good for play at either course, Forest Park or Creekside, for the first time.

Hainline said he wants to tie the courses together more closely. Season passes for Creekside have not grown over the years, and Hainline said he hopes the new pass plus new marketing efforts will make more people aware of and use Creekside.

As for the other program fees, only eight activities, including several preschool programs, will be subject to modest increases of $3 to $5. The parks department plans to add three new programs, including preschool dance, Ranger Camp for those in seventh and eighth grades, and a girls 6 and under softball program.

Four rental fees also will increase. The fee for Discovery Cottage will increase $10 to $70, the cost of the family fun pack of games and picnic supplies for park outings will go from $20 to $25, paddle boat rental will go up 50 cents to $3, and rowboat rental will increase $1 to $4.

All of the programs met or exceeded expected revenue projections in 2008, Parks Director Steve Doniger said. Angie Whisnant, assistant director of administration and recreation, said the decision to hold the line on most fees was because recreation dollars are discretionary dollars for families, and the department wants to keep them as low as possible.

Board Member E. Ric Frataccia questioned the minimal difference -- $10 -- between the fees paid by residents compared to those paid by nonresidents for participation in programs. He said he is approached often by people who say the difference should be greater, especially when residents aren't able to get into a program while nonresidents do.

Doniger said, in the past, the department had a waiting list of people for programs. It eliminated that practice in favor of finding a place for every person that wants to join, although it might not be the exact team or the T-shirt desired. He said statistics show participation is about evenly split between residents and nonresidents, most of whom are Center Township residents.

Doniger said the staff will do research on fees elsewhere and present the board with the results for consideration when setting 2010 fees.