Council approves Heartland Cricket League park-use agreement with clarified non‑exclusivity and termination language

The West Des Moines City Council on June 2 approved a park-use agreement with the Heartland Cricket League after clarifying contract language to make the arrangement non‑exclusive and to add termination provisions consistent with other city agreements.

Council members said staff (identified in the discussion as Jessica, Greta and Ryan) worked to revise the agreement language to reflect how the city handles similar arrangements and to ensure the city retains the ability to terminate the agreement with proper notice. Councilman McKinney and others who spoke at the dais thanked staff for the revisions and described the update as standardizing language across park-use contracts.

Councilmember comments explained that public fields may be reserved for tournaments or events but are still subject to city access policies; the modified agreement preserves access fairness for other groups and clarifies expectations for all parties. The council approved the resolution to adopt the agreement by a recorded 5-0 vote.

The agreement had been continued from the May 19 meeting; staff said legal review had taken place and the current version reflected the city's standard practices for non-exclusivity and termination. Under the approved terms, the Heartland Cricket League may schedule events consistent with the agreement but does not gain sole ownership of the fields.