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Lake Havasu City, school district expand joint use of elementary fields for youth sports practices
Summary
The city council approved an amendment to the intergovernmental agreement with Lake Havasu Unified School District No. 1 to add six elementary school sites for practice use by youth sports leagues; the change is for practices only, not games, and officials said there is minimal cost impact to the city.
Lake Havasu City on Tuesday approved Resolution No. 25-3818, amending the intergovernmental agreement with Lake Havasu Unified School District No. 1 to add six elementary school multiuse fields for youth sports practice.
The amendment, presented by Parks and Recreation staff member Gabby Barra, is intended to relieve demand on the city’s limited game fields by allowing leagues to use elementary school grass areas for practices. Barra told the council the change will add six additional practice sites and will not be used for games because the fields are not sized or marked for official matches.
Barra said the leagues served under current agreements count more than 3,000 participants and cited the Havasu Lions soccer program alone at roughly 1,800 participants. “So it’s really imperative that we can be able to offer that space and accommodate their growing needs,” Barra said during the hearing.
Barra and council members described several operational details: the city will coordinate calendars with school administrators to prevent double booking, add the new sites to maintenance schedules for tasks such as aerating and filling holes, and limit new costs by reallocating existing staff rather than hiring additional employees. Barra told the council the agreement builds on an existing IGA that already covers after-school programming and indoor uses.
Council members commended staff and the district for the partnership. Council member Jim Dolan moved adoption of the resolution; council member Nancy Campbell seconded. Vice Mayor Michelle Lynn voted aye; the motion passed 7-0.
The amendment applies to elementary sites other than Oro Grande, which already has ball fields; the six new sites will be available for practice use only, and the city and district will work out scheduling and maintenance responsibilities through school administrators and Parks and Recreation staff.
The city manager and Parks and Recreation staff said they will return to internal operations planning to add the six sites to maintenance rotas and confirm calendar coordination with district administrators.
