The Olivet Parks Foundation voted to buy new soccer goals and postponed a request for a body-composition scanner after a detailed staff presentation and council discussion.

The foundation approved the purchase, by a 5-0 vote, of eight sets of soccer goals priced at about $26,000, using a quote from BSN Sports under GSA pricing. Beverly Tucker Knight, Olivet’s parks and recreation director, told the board the goals include an 8-foot-by-24-foot regulation goal planned for Stacy Park, smaller goals for kindergarten and early-grade programs, and wheels on the larger units to make them easier to move and less likely to be damaged during field maintenance. “They’re also really safe, and they also meet the standards for high school play,” Knight said.

The purchase responds to a shortfall created when the fifth-grade center fields will not be available this season because of construction, Knight said. The foundation’s financial report showed donations totaling $65,400 for the year, the primary source for the foundation’s requests.

Why it matters: The decision addresses immediate equipment needs for a growing youth soccer program and aims to avoid rental costs the city has been paying for off-site fields. Council members flagged related operational issues — parking overflow at Stacy Park during peak game times, goal storage and durability, and a desire to consider lower-cost, more-mobile training goals as an alternative for some age groups.

What the board discussed: Knight presented three logo designs for the newly formed foundation and said she would return with revised iterations. On equipment, she described the field configurations at Stacy Park (multiple fields) and Warson Park (one regulation field that can be subdivided for younger players). The goals request was presented as eight sets totaling about $26,000, broken down as three sets sized for first- and second-graders (with wheels), four kindergarten-size sets, and one set for older youths and adults; the quote included wheels for selected units.

Board members raised several operational questions before voting: lead time and shipping (the goals ship by freight and would take a few weeks), whether the goals would be stored outside (the nets are removed and stored indoors; the metal frames remain outdoors), and whether different, lower-cost mobile goals might suffice for the youngest age groups. One member urged staff to vet the smaller training-goal options that can be more mobile and less expensive; staff said they would review alternatives and noted some designs may not be intended for competitive game situations.

The foundation also discussed a roughly $8,000 request for an InBody body-composition scanner for 5 Oaks, a piece of equipment staff said would be used primarily by personal trainers and fitness classes and would print private progress reports for users. Knight described the device as an industry-standard tool that “is much less invasive and, more private for people.” Staff said the device would require initial trainer assistance for first-time users, would be used under controlled protocols to protect personal data, and carries a two-year warranty; however, specifics about ongoing maintenance costs were not available at the meeting.

Members expressed concern about committing roughly half of the foundation’s current balance to purchases in the foundation’s first year and asked for usage data for personal training and fitness classes before approving the scanner. The board voted to table the scanner request so staff could return with additional data and clarified policy guidance on what types of expenses the foundation should cover versus capital projects handled through the city’s regular budget process.

Formal actions: The foundation approved its slate of officers and assigned the executive director role per the foundation bylaws; it accepted the financial report for the year; it approved the soccer-goals purchase; it tabled the InBody scanner request; and it approved foundation minutes. The board asked staff to return with revised logo options, usage and maintenance data for the scanner, and clearer guidance on the foundation’s spending criteria before the next meeting.

The foundation’s work session was described by staff as the group’s first substantive meeting since formation and donation receipts this fiscal year. Knight and staff said they will bring more detailed cost comparisons, trainer-usage statistics, and proposals for parking or overflow plans to a future foundation meeting so the board can refine priorities and spending rules.

Ending: The foundation scheduled another meeting before the end of the year to consider the follow-ups; in the meantime, staff will refine logo designs, collect additional quotes and usage data, and vet lower-cost goal options for younger players.