Clovis raises utilities and facility rental fees. Some increases will go up 50%
Effective January, permit fees and rental rates will increase for certain facilities in Clovis, with some rising by as much as 50%.
Last Monday, the Clovis City Council approved the city’s Master Administrative Fee Schedule, which will take effect January 1, 2026, to reflect inflation, labor costs and other increases since its last update in 2024.
According to the approved resolution, all fees involving the Fire Department, including construction permits, annual safety inspections, false alarm response and emergency response fees, will go up by 3% for inflation and in concurrence with the labor contracts.
The city will also raise the top rate of the fee range for recreational programs and facilities rentals for seniors and youth. Under the new fee schedule, senior center classes will charge between $1 to $50 per day per activity.
Most of the senior classes will continue to be offered at a range of $1 to $4, if they are not free. The goal is to make the programs accessible for all seniors, according to city officials. The wide range of rates and high limits reflects the circumstances and the actual costs for the activities at both the senior center and the community center. The fee might also include the equipment rental, such as the paddles and other gear for pickleball sessions, which the city charges $5 per person per session.
The Public Utilities Department monthly rental costs for the hydrant water meter will increase from $37.12 to $46.56, as well as the utilities fee for every 1,000 gallons of water, depending on the usage. But the largest increase stems from lost or stolen meters, up from $850 to $1,770 per instance. The rate uptick is due to Clovis currently upgrading its water system with advanced metering infrastructure.
The reservation fee for picnic sites in the parks has jumped by 50%. Under the new fee schedule, reserving a picnic site with four or fewer tables would cost $41 for half day or $124 for a full day. The rates for sites with five or more tables will rise from $53 to $80 for a half day and from $106 to $160 for a full day.
This fee hasn’t been revised since 2017, and the increase is meant to compensate for labor costs, said Paul Armendariz, assistant city manager.
“Before we have a park reservation, our staff will go out there, clean up the site, make sure the picnic tables are ready, our trash cans are cleared. There’s also electricity in there that they can use,” Armendariz told the council. “And then it also covers the cost for staff to come back out after the rental to clean up afterwards too.”
The site preparation includes pressure washing, general cleaning, emptying trash receptacles, and providing additional restroom servicing when necessary, according to city spokesperson Chad McCollum.
Picnic site reservations are popular. Data from the city shows that residents made 875 and 919 reservations, respectively, in 2023 and 2024. Clovis generated more than $110,000 in revenue from picnic site rentals in the last two years.
Picnic areas that have not been reserved are available at no cost on a first-come, first-served basis, said McCollum. Most reservations occur over the weekend, and staff usually post signs to notify of an upcoming reservation in advance.
