Laserfiche WebLink
19 <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch said a tricky issue is usage of the parks by County residents and asked <br />whether a license could be required for those who use the parks. Mr. Lynch said he <br />thinks the citizens who supported compromises are going to have to get creative. <br /> <br />REPORT: ATHLETIC FIELDS <br /> <br /> Mr. O'Connell said that staffare looking at future strategies from a planning <br />standpoint and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board has been looking at the athletic <br />fields. <br /> <br /> Mr. Stan Tatum, the consultant who studied the athletic fields, was asked to <br />review the following basic questions: what do we have in the way of athletic fields and <br />where are they; what condition are they in; how much are they used and who is using <br />them. A telephone survey was done with identified users of the fields. There are nine <br />park sites, seven school sites and one Housing Authority property with athletic fields, and <br />an ever increasing need for more fields. The fields are in constant demand and overused, <br />and most are in need of substantial repair and are lacking appropriate restroom facilities. <br />There is a need for standardized registration centralized under City control. A schedule <br />needs to be developed that allows fields to be rotated. <br /> <br /> Ms. Mueller said that since reviewing the report, City staff has met with County <br />staff and reviewed the report. The scheduling will be coordinated and they are working <br />on a common registration form. Some down time is started to be built in for the fields. <br />Staff is costing out what it would take to do major upgrades at the fields. Ms. Mueller <br />said she will provide Council with a timetable for addressing the issues. <br /> <br /> Ms. Richards noted that City taxpayers are paying for ali maintenance at the fields <br />and asked if this has been discussed with County staff. <br /> <br />Ms. Mueller said County staff is interested in exploring new fields. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano said the City could potentially surcharge non-City users of the fields. <br />Mr. Toscano said that in the past the City has taken the position that adult athletics would <br />be self-supporting, and asked if that has changed. <br /> <br /> Mr. Johnny Ellen, Chief of Recreation and Leisure Services, said that it is self- <br />supporting as far as the program goes, but the fees do not pay for Parks crews to maintain <br />the fields. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano asked what the additional cost would be if that expense was rolled <br />into the cost of the program, but Mr. Ellen said he does not know. <br /> <br /> Mr. Cox said he feels that the current fee is very low for a team, and he would be <br />interested in seeing what it would cost for the program to be truly self-sustaining and <br />would like to explore having a differential cost for City and non-City users. <br /> <br /> Mr. O'Connell said that a differential fee could not be applied to Towe Park <br />because it is a joint City/County park. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano said he feels it is hard to justify a subsidy for adult athletic <br />programs, except for swimming which is so expensive, but said that experience has <br />shown that when fees are raised, use drops and the City receives less money. <br /> <br />Mr. Cox noted that it may be advantageous to have less use of the athletic fields. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch asked why more games are scheduled on City fields rather than <br />County fields, and Mr. Ellen said he does not know. <br /> <br /> Responding to a question fi:om Mr. Lynch, Ms. Mueller said she will provide <br />information on the cost sharing at Towe Park. <br /> <br /> <br />