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Gig Harbor staff propose five‑year facility use agreement with Gig Harbor Little League; city to receive $15,000 seasonal fee
Summary
Parks staff presented a draft facility‑use agreement for Peninsula Light Fields giving Gig Harbor Little League exclusive regular‑season use, a five‑year initial term with automatic renewal, and a $15,000 annual payment to the city; lighting and utility responsibilities and reimbursement arrangements were clarified.
Parks staff presented a proposed facility use agreement between the city and Gig Harbor Little League for Peninsula Light Fields, a property the city purchased in 2017.
Parks Manager Jennifer Perfairo told council the draft agreement clarifies landlord and tenant responsibilities, establishes an initial five‑year term with automatic renewal unless renegotiated, and requires the Little League to pay $15,000 per season to help cover staff time, utilities and routine maintenance costs. "They have 960 kids this year. They're one of the biggest Little Leagues in the nation, actually," Perfairo said during the presentation.
Under the draft, the Little League would have exclusive use during its regular season and would be responsible for field improvements that are baseball‑specific, field supplies and certain repairs; the city would continue routine tasks such as restroom cleaning, utility provision and assistance with field set‑up when able. The agreement also requires the league to reimburse the city for specific damages (for example, broken sprinkler heads) and to supply $3,000 for equipment repairs as a running contingency for baseball‑specific fixtures.
Lighting and cost allocation were discussed in detail. Parks staff said light usage outside the regular season (for fall ball, for example) would be billed to the user and reimbursed to the city. Staff said a new automatic switch has been installed to reduce neighborhood disturbances, and that PenLight (the prior property owner/operator) remains involved in light maintenance. Council members asked for clarity on large, atypical electricity bills; staff said the $15,000 seasonal payment is intended to cover the regular season but that unusual utility costs (cited as a one‑time $18,000 instance in the presentation) would be billed to the user and reimbursed to the city.
Council asked about monitoring city labor and equipment costs tied to the fields; staff said operations has tracked those costs and that the $15,000 figure reflects those calculations. Council and staff discussed the automatic renewal clause and agreed the five‑year term with a check‑in at renewal was appropriate to ensure the arrangement remains financially sustainable.
Council indicated support for bringing the draft agreement to a regular meeting for formal approval. No formal vote was recorded at the study session; staff said they will return the agreement for council action at a subsequent regular meeting.
