[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6241619,"mediaKeyId","3255179-8001f26239ef2ee91ac4ec76b29df43a","parentId",3255179,"title","Keller board debates arena rules, concession agreements and fee consistency at sports park","audioSeconds",727,"startMs",2088000,"endMs",2815000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255179-8001f26239ef2ee91ac4ec76b29df43a&start=2088&end=2815","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255179-8001f26239ef2ee91ac4ec76b29df43a/thumbnail_2088000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6241619/Keller/Tarrant-County/Texas/Keller-board-debates-arena-rules-concession-agreements-and-fee-consistency-at-sports-park","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241619-88098a00315f7ccdb40d7903cb3537b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152518&Signature=AYy4pMli4QYTv4yZfE68gQ9Sjq1UgMfqB~iavnjMIX2QpQ-jp8KDExqh8fe~dInkJrOkur0iWkRR4tyyxUxRQqwyudWX7KYDCn0lZc21ufhMZIBLp1b5rLfsbuQMcRh4aFxbsOJj6q4bZ26y-pqKwmtZQ5YxTvEJ-prRNTqTTfRhpCD-zCgHWk1MMrvV-5bZnMUt9OFQwA7i6wuYOE8OpjQxpTxyjexbKnjGeqzkqTedZAhbSoRHqMqKI2RfDkLm5idVxUr7S8CWxEEhGerqetMuZYSNOcGRF6ttzTuj3cvH-e1S~ktwhr0YaLAa8AElKplYLBkJ4FipjWIcOC~RRQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Keller TX","date","2025-05-09T12:14:57Z","article","At the May meeting of the Keller Park and Recreation Board, members reviewed proposed changes to sports park user and concession agreements and discussed how to regulate and, in some cases, recover operating costs for the arena and other amenities.

The issue matters because the arena is open to public use but lacks a consistent usage agreement and enforcement mechanism, creating equity questions about fees for organized associations versus casual users.

“We pared [the agreements] down and made it a much easier document to manage,” a parks staff member told the board about the user and concession agreements. The board reviewed a separate concession agreement package and a shorter rental form staff said they would run by the city attorney and city manager before presenting to the KDC (the funding body) in June.

Board members flagged that the arena does not have a usage agreement for routine users — only a sign with rules and a special‑event rental form. Staff said occasional users can show up and turn on lights; reservation and special‑event requests trigger staffing and drag/maintenance work. “If you wanna go out there tonight and ride your horse and turn the lights on, you absolutely can,” a parks staff member said, describing current practice. The board discussed options to control use: a keyed light box, a locked arena requiring staff to open and close it, or gates, but members noted operational costs and access for public works would complicate enforcement.

Members also discussed fee consistency and cost recovery. Staff said many park amenities assess resident and nonresident fees for field use and that the arena sees heavy nonresident use. The board proposed stronger financial reporting and accountability from associations that hold longer‑term use agreements: staff said future user agreements will require annual presentation of financial statements and an audit‑type review so the board and council can assess cost recovery and stewardship.

Staff noted enforcement challenges during evenings and weekends when on‑duty parks staff are not routinely present; overtime and staff scheduling create a cost for on‑call enforcement. Board members proposed lower‑burden approaches such as an honor system with periodic audits, keyed access tied to reservations, or pilot measures to test enforcement before adding permanent controls.

The board asked staff to refine language, run the documents past the city attorney and manager, and return the concession and user agreement package to KDC in June. Members agreed to a future work session to brainstorm creative control and enforcement ideas for the arena and other high‑use, low‑control areas of the sports park.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Keller Parks and Recreation Board Meeting - May 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Park board members reviewed simplified user and concession agreements and discussed that the sports park arena currently has no formal usage agreement for regular users; the board examined enforcement, access and fee‑consistency options including audits and annual reporting from associations.","taxTitle","Keller, Tarrant County, Texas","taxId",54069,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6241620,"Keller park projects 64% complete; Mount Gilead trail could exhaust trail fund",1079,386000,1465000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255179-8001f26239ef2ee91ac4ec76b29df43a&start=386&end=1465","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255179-8001f26239ef2ee91ac4ec76b29df43a/thumbnail_386000.jpg","/articles/6241620/Keller/Tarrant-County/Texas/Keller-park-projects-64-complete-Mount-Gilead-trail-could-exhaust-trail-fund","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241620-ebf9679f1d69dba410f959cf8efbd5e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152518&Signature=CDi9GUFM2BbKqNKlbSn4YtbyymUaMFzHDGLAoffx8lTR2JggewM~6qQSngBQoOazvO04p6ngxu-ilT2JPhQ1EBZmoEfgxawizyl0FsQMmTLMoQH~XpvB5lj1Q~7K61q14x3WKYb1aaulJjVbx4V4K~d7phAclm97FvsMbIsSPLCJryP9xtjKn~tN6KLCDsv1T4w1KcFHcDPwr6RH4KoLNQbjlAfExunbhp1as2qLuLKiydDkvuoAlQI-qgSM0I1jfQ7JTct-~1I-QzJlePoVq9lB~ksSBCav-aDJIwBslAJ2mThO01eG1k6CU59KXHhqB~pAJgyRkShJzZ6TRoaLDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the May meeting of the Keller Park and Recreation Board, city parks staff provided a construction update saying the sports park is about 64% complete and that bids for the Mount Gilead hike-and-bike trail will open next week, with council review expected in June.

The status update matters because the trail and park work affects school access, neighborhood connectivity and near-term park budgets. Board members raised questions about how private development and design decisions now will affect the city’s ability to build a continuous 10-foot hike-and-bike trail in the future.

“Sports park, we're 64% complete. They were wrapping up the soccer parking lot today and should wrap up Equestrian tomorrow,” Cody (Parks staff) told the board, adding that synthetic fields are installed but grass for new baseball fields has been delayed by rain. Playground installations and shade structures are complete; staff said third‑party inspections were scheduled but may have been delayed by weather. The splash pad remains in underground work stages.

On trails, staff said the Mount Gilead project had a non‑mandatory pre‑bid meeting with eight companies in attendance and a bid opening scheduled next week. “When the bid comes in next week, we'll review those, based on the amount and based on how much we have in funding. We'll get it on a city council agenda, in June,” Cody said, adding that after council approval a pre‑construction meeting typically follows and construction could begin by mid‑summer.

Board members pressed staff on how private development affects trail continuity. A recent development near Johnson and Maine asked planners to defer constructing the hike‑and‑bike trail for a short, disconnected stretch; board members and staff said the city is seeking a permanent easement and asking developers to back trees away from future trail alignment so the city would not later have to remove mature trees to build the path. Staff said the standard requirement is a 20‑foot easement and construction of a 10‑foot trail when the site plan is approved.

The board discussed the local review process: Development Review Committee (DRC) comments, Unified Development Code (UDC) standards, and the city’s Future Land Use Plan (FLUP). Staff said variances to avoid trail construction can only be granted by council, not by staff at planning and zoning meetings.

On funding, staff said park projects are funded in part through the KDC half‑cent sales tax. “We started around 300,000, and we've slowly been escalating. We're putting in 450,000 this year. It just kinda goes into a reserve that then we can use for all trails. But this Mount Gilead that we're building will probably wipe out everything we've saved for the past several years,” Cody said. Staff also noted that park dedication fees collected from new development may be applied to trail construction.

Board members asked for annual review of the trail master plan and better cross‑department briefings so park board members understand how DRC, engineering, fire and planning comments shape final site plans. Staff said the city will review bids, present the Mount Gilead item to council in June and return to the board with the construction schedule after council action.

Next steps: bid review next week, council consideration in June, and staff follow‑up on easement language and tree placement for developments intersecting the trail plan.","Parks staff told the Park and Recreation Board the sports park is 64% complete, playground inspections are pending, and bids for the Mount Gilead hike-and-bike trail open next week. Staff said the city is budgeting $450,000 for trails this year but that Mount Gilead could use most or all of the fund balance.","actionData","errors"]

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Keller board debates arena rules, concession agreements and fee consistency at sports park

Keller park projects 64% complete; Mount Gilead trail could exhaust trail fund