WAILUKU — Based on a test program to end overnight camping at county parks permit offices, Parks Director Tamara Horcajo is proposing to establish a new reservations policy for permit offices, The Maui News reported.

Parks officials will discuss the changes to community center reservation policies and proposed fees at a meeting beginning at 6 p.m. Monday at the Kahului Community Center.

The Department of Parks and Recreation policy would allow residents to hold a place in line when seeking to reserve a community center without "camping" overnight in order to be first in line. The new system would allow residents to sign up on a list to hold their place in line.

In addition, the parks department is proposing to start renting community centers by the hour instead of by the day — potentially allowing more than one group to use a facility per day.

The fees will not be dramatically different if users plan their time efficiently, Horcajo said.

Horcajo said the change should mean facilities can be used for more activities, potentially eliminating the need for families to wait in line for reservations a year in advance.

"With our limited facilities, it's just a way to try to accommodate more people," she said.

Horcajo said overnight camping at permit offices, with family members holding a place in line to be able to make a reservation a year ahead for preferred dates, had become a security concern. County parks rules provide for the parks department to accept a reservation for use of a county facility a year ahead of time.

Over the summer, the department tested the new policy at the Wailuku and Kihei permit offices. Under the new system, family members must physically stand in line during work hours, but "sign out" at the end of the day and "sign in" when offices open the next morning to reclaim their place in line. The families were asked to leave overnight.

"They couldn't set up a tent or have a barbecue," Horcajo said.

She said the department could eventually move to a computerized waiting list, but would use this new system for now.

Members of the public will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed hourly fee structure at the meeting. If approved by the Maui County Council for the 2008-09 budget, the new fees would go into effect July 1.

For more information on the meeting and the proposed policies, call the Department of Parks and Recreation at 808-270-7626.

For more Maui news, visit The Maui News.