Glen Rock board directs staff to clarify field-lighting fees, seeks consistent facility-use language

Glen Rock Public School District trustees asked staff to clarify how the district charges for field lighting and to tighten the wording of a facilities-use regulation, PN R 75-10, with revisions to be presented at the next Committee on Administration and Logistics (CAL) meeting and then to the full board on March 17.

Board members said the current draft left uncertainty over whether the $100 lighting charge is assessed per reservation, per organization, per field or per night and asked staff to make the regulation’s intent explicit. A board member reading notes from a RAB trustee reported, “The old stadium fee, light fee is currently about a $100,” and said RAB wants clarity on whether the fee is assessed “per organization or per night or just the fee for the night.”

Staff and trustees discussed whether the district should list separate lines for the stadium (upper field) and the lower soccer/lacrosse/multi-use field and whether the press box is separately charged. One board member noted that the regulation’s rate table states “all field rates per hour high school fields include the press box,” and the group confirmed the press box is included for high school field rentals.

Trustees pressed for an operationally simple rule for lighting so office staff would not need to track overlapping reservations. After several scenarios were raised — for example, if soccer reserves 5–7 p.m. and lacrosse 7–9 p.m., whether both groups would be billed — the board generally favored a “per reservation” approach to reduce administrative complexity. A trustee suggested phrasing the line to read “per reservation” and to list lights for stadium and for lower field on two lines for clarity.

The board did not take a final vote on PN R 75-10 at this meeting. Trustees directed staff to revise the regulation to (1) replace ambiguous wording about “all-purpose field lighting” with clear labels for the stadium and lower field; (2) specify whether and how lights are billed when multiple groups use the same night; and (3) confirm whether the charge is assessed per reservation or per organization. The revised draft will return for CAL review and then for board action on March 17.

Trustees also noted related operational practices they expect to see reflected in the regulation, including a minimum lighting block (discussed as four hours in prior practice) and consistency with existing reservation and insurance rules for external user groups.