The director of Dunkirk’s Youth and Recreation Department discussed raising fees on various city services during a Common Council budget review meeting last week.

Ryan Hall talked about hikes for Camp Gross, the winter recreational center and the city’s softball fields.

The popular summertime Camp Gross currently has a fee of $40 per camper. “I think maybe we should increase this just a little bit,” Hall said. “A lot of our expenses in busing went up from the previous year.”

He noted that “every year we have a waiting list” for his department’s program at the Cassadaga camp. Hall proposed a fee hike to from $55 to $60 for campers from the city. Out-of-towners would pay from $70 to $75, he envisions.

City Treasurer Mark Woods said there would have to be a council resolution, with a public hearing, to raise the fees.

Hall also proposed fee increases for the city’s recreation center, open during December to March at the Chautauqua County Fairgrounds. He’d charge $20-$25 for city residents and $25-$30 for people who don’t live in Dunkirk.

Hall’s proposed fee structure charging more for non-Dunkirk users seems in line with the thinking of Councilman Marty Bamonto. “I would jack up the out-of-town fee,” across the board on all such programs, Bamonto said.

Hall called the softball field usage fee “pretty cheap as well.” It’s currently $50 for a single game now, while $100 gets a field for an entire weekend.

Council members and city officials did not come to a consensus on a dollar figure for a hike in the field fees. They did broadly agree with Hall’s proposals in the other areas.