Lowell parks board to hold special meeting with city attorney to rework tournament and permit rules

An extended policy discussion at the City of Lowell Board of Parks meeting on April 30 focused on revising how the city handles large tournaments, field availability and permit fees. Board members agreed to hold a special meeting with the city solicitor and the full parks board to develop proposed language and fee recommendations for the City Council.

Why it matters: Tournaments and multi‑day field use generate substantial revenue and can effectively reserve fields for private users for weeks at a time. Board members, council representatives and staff said the city needs a clearer, more enforceable policy that balances revenue, field maintenance and public access.

What board members discussed Board members and staff reviewed recent complaints from council members and residents about long-running blanket permits and unclear tournament handling. Staff and council members recommended stronger rules and clearer language to prevent informal “subletting” of permits and to ensure the city retains oversight over multi-day, multi-field events.

The board discussed several policy options raised at a prior Parks & Recreation Subcommittee meeting and during the council’s review: - Raising or restructuring tournament fees to reflect city costs and discourage unregulated commercial use of multiple fields; - Creating an RFP (request-for-proposal) process so a contracted promoter would bid to run tournaments and share revenue or guarantee field-restoration standards; and - Setting limits on blanket or season-long permits (board members repeatedly cited 53-day blanket assignments as excessive).

Next steps and timing Board members voted to schedule a special meeting that includes all board members plus the city solicitor to draft proposed language and recommended fee structures. They indicated a goal of producing a proposal for City Council consideration with an implementation target in 2026; staff warned the council would need time to review any ordinance or fee changes and that permit applicants should expect advance notice before new rules take effect.

What was decided The board approved a motion to convene a special meeting with the city attorney and the full parks board to craft changes to tournament policy and fee language. No fee schedule or ordinance change was adopted at the April 30 meeting; board members said they want draft language vetted by legal counsel and the parks subcommittee before any formal submission to the City Council.

Ending Board members said they would coordinate schedules to hold the special meeting in the coming weeks so staff and city counsel can produce a draft for broader review; until that process is complete, current permit rules remain in effect.