Frequent Ascarate users upset over new fees

Ascarate Park is undergoing some changes after several employees were accused of stealing money generated by entrance and tournament fees. New policies meant to prevent fraud are in place at Ascarate, though workers are still installing several monitoring mechanisms.

Workers were putting in the fiber-optic lines to the Ascarate gatehouse Wednesday, part of about $200,000 in improvements and new systems voted on by commissioners in early March. Those lines will allow new cameras, gate systems and software to be installed to monitor transactions and employees and create greater accountability.

But another part of the plan now in place, a new fee schedule that raises the entry fee from $2 to $5 per car on holidays and major events, can’t be monitored until everything’s in place.

“(There’s) nothing right now,” said County Commissioner David Stout. “You know, I mean, we have to be kind of patient with that until we get all of those measures into place. But if someone feels that they were overcharged, or if they had an issue with one of the attendants or paying, we can definitely look into the issue.”

There are two people required in the entry booth on special event days and holidays as a guard against fraud for now.

But people who are regularly using the park are still upset about the fee change. Those go up to $5 for any holiday designated by the county, such as Memorial Day, and for special events planned in the park with more than 200 people expected to attend.

Golfers say they’re among the biggest supporters of the continued existence of Ascarate. But now, they’re feeling squeezed on fees for events they’re not even attending.

“It’s not good for my parents who are on scholarships and can’t really pay to come to the program,” said Kristi Albers. “And then if they’re going to drop off their kids, it’s another $5.”

Albers runs the First Tee program for El Paso, introducing the young and disadvantaged to golf.

But Stout said that’s part of policies that have now been standardized.

“New policies and procedures for charging and the gate operation hours were to be put in place, and that has happened,” Stout said. “On the weekends, the park is open later.”

But frequent users of the park are taking serious issue with the changes in the entry fee depending on the day.

“They’re absolutely outrageous,” said Joe Gallegos, president of the Ascarate Golf Course Association. “They make the golfers suffer, and they’re the ones who have supported this park, alright. Without the golfers, Ascarate doesn’t have anything.”

Gallegos said a boycott is being considered if things aren’t changed. But Stout said something is in the works to address that.
“Hopefully in the next couple of weeks,” Stout said, “our parks department and public works department will be bringing some recommendations to us in regards to something for frequent users of the park.”

But that may not come soon enough for programs like the one run by Albers.

“They are working with us,” Albers said. “But as far as like my parents, until the season pass comes about, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”