Commission begins review of league fees, seeks per‑hour cost baseline for field maintenance
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Summary
Facing high maintenance costs and differing usage patterns, the commission directed staff to develop a cost‑of‑service baseline (cost per hour/field) to inform a possible move from per‑player to per‑hour fee models for leagues and field users.
The Park Commission began a policy review of league fees and field rental charges, asking staff to develop a clear cost baseline for field maintenance to inform future fee changes.
Staff supplied comparative rates used in neighboring towns (examples included per‑player fees and per‑hour field rates). Commissioners noted that the current mix of per‑head flat fees and hourly charges creates inequities: some user groups pay a flat seasonal fee while others pay per hour, and some long‑use groups may be undercharged given mowing, waste pickup and utility costs associated with repeated use.
Commissioners instructed staff to calculate the commission’s cost to provide fields (including mowing frequency, trash pickup, electric costs for snack shacks and lights, equipment use for bunker raking) so the commission can consider whether to adopt a per‑hour formula similar to neighboring towns. Staff noted that some towns charge a fixed hourly field rate with an added light fee; others charge per‑participant or a flat seasonal rate.
Members discussed implementation options including phasing in any increases over several years, soliciting formulas from nearby towns, and keeping user fees predictable while covering the true cost of maintaining fields.