Columbia County adopts nonrefundable reservation deposits, $300 monthly travel-ball practice fee

Columbia County commissioners on April 1 adopted Resolution 2025R-10, revising the county's parks reservation rules to require nonrefundable reservation deposits and to create a new monthly travel-ball practice fee of $300 that guarantees up to two practice days per week on a designated field.

County parks staff said the changes aim to reduce double-bookings and cover increasing maintenance costs at the county's athletic facilities. The new rules also require teams and groups to sign use agreements spelling out permitted uses and maintenance responsibilities, staff said.

County parks official Clint presented the proposal, telling the board that existing refundable deposits had been exploited: "So we're proposing that any fees that are paid to hold a reservation are non refundable." He said the new $300 monthly practice fee "gets you up to 2 practice days per week where a particular field will be designated to you and only you and your team" and that practice schedules would remain subordinate to tournament bookings and county uses.

Staff said the fees are payable at the time of reservation and that use agreements will be required for all organized users to ensure they understand "what they can and can't do on the field and how they need to take care of it." The presentation noted some fee adjustments elsewhere in the schedule — described as modest increases of about $25 or $50 for some rentals — and stressed that the changes are intended to align Columbia County's practice with surrounding counties.

Commissioners asked staff to clarify how community recreational players could access fields when organized groups hold leases. Clint said leagues that hold use agreements are expected to coordinate entry for other players when the fields are available and that fields are locked after organized rentals to prevent damage and unauthorized events. He told the board that Wednesdays and Sundays have historically been designated travel-ball days and that the county will expect coordinating organizations to manage gate access when they are not actively using a field.

During discussion commissioners cited recurring problems: out-of-area teams traveling into Columbia County to use free facilities, repeated concentrated drills that damage turf, and a declining volunteer base to manage gates and maintenance. Clint said practices cause more turf wear than games because drills concentrate repeated activity in the same spots.

The board voted on the resolution after discussion. A commissioner moved to adopt Resolution 2025R-10 and another commissioner seconded; the vote was recorded as a voice vote with the board answering "aye" and no opposing votes called on the record. No individual roll-call votes or per-member tallies were given in the transcript.

The resolution also consolidates the fee schedule and makes a number of housekeeping adjustments intended to modernize facility management, staff said. Staff noted the county has had longstanding low rental rates (Alligator Lake facility rentals were noted as having been $100 since 2001) and described the changes as moderate and intended to recover maintenance costs and reduce scheduling abuse.

The board approved the resolution by voice vote. Staff said they will implement the updated reservation rules, require signed use agreements for organized users, and proceed with collecting nonrefundable deposits and the new monthly travel-ball practice fee.

Less critical details: staff indicated some small increases for park rentals and described outreach they have done with local leagues. The presentation referenced specific local facilities including Alligator Lake Park and the Mason City Community Center field as examples where unauthorized use had created problems.