The Gainesville City Council is considering increasing rental fees for the arena and meeting rooms at the Georgia Mountains Center.

The proposed fee increase would help the department reduce its reliance on the city’s general fund, according to a memo from Carol Moore, director of the Georgia Mountains Center.

In a memo to City Manager Kip Padgett and the City Council, Moore said rental fees at the Georgia Mountains Center were well below average rental fees for comparable facilities.

She proposed raising rental fees annually to meet rising operating costs and reduce the center’s financial reliance on the city’s general fund, which is fed by property and sales taxes.

Moore proposed that the annual increase in rental rates not exceed the annual average increase in the Consumer Price Index.

The proposal would result in a $100 increase for rental of the Georgia Mountains Center arena and a $50 increase in theater rental fees.

The City Council will vote on the proposed rate increase at its June 30 meeting. If approved, the fee increase will be the first since July 2005 and would become effective July 1.