Council renews two-year leases with school district for Lions Park softball and Walker Johnson tennis courts

The Urbandale City Council approved two-year lease agreements with the local school district for continued use of the Lions Park softball complex and the eight tennis courts at Walker Johnson Park. Parks and Recreation Director Jan Herkey said the city has used two-year leases with the school district historically for these facilities and that the district requested a four-year lease; staff recommended staying with the two-year term because the Lions Park master plan (adopted 2022) remains under consideration and the city wants flexibility if master-plan work leads to changes. Herkey said the lease language was updated slightly at the district’s request to clarify ingress and egress and to state the district’s access to the courts and fields. Councilmembers noted the district’s facilities committee has been involved in master-plan discussions and stressed the need for ongoing communication to ensure any future transition away from Lions Park facilities is smooth for the schools. The Parks and Recreation Commission and the school board had already signed off on the lease, Herkey said. Councilmember McCraw moved to approve council letter 8236; the motion was seconded by Councilmember Bodie and passed.