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Council to update Westfield field fees and negotiate longer contracts with users; turf replacement cost flagged
Summary
Council discussed updating rental and daily fees for Westfield athletic field, negotiating longer contracts with major users, and the long‑term cost of turf replacement. Staff said the Westfield fund has limited reserves and the replacement could cost roughly $1 million.
Munhall Borough Council directed staff to update rental fees for the Westfield athletic field, to pursue longer‑term rental agreements with major users, and to continue funding a reserve for eventual turf replacement.
Council packet materials compared Homestead/nearby municipality fees and recommended raising annual payments and daily rates. Council staff proposed increasing revenues from large users (Chatham and others) from roughly $50,000 annually to a negotiated $70,000 annual figure and raising daily rental rates by about 25–30% to reflect maintenance costs and field demand.
Officials reported the borough spent about $60,000–$80,000 on field maintenance in the previous year, including specialized turf cleaning and rubber infill replacement. A borough official said the field will eventually need replacement and estimated a replacement cost on the order of $1 million. Councilors said they want to build the Westfield fund to cover major capital expenses and requested staff prepare updated fee schedules and a contract template for the field's primary users.
Council asked staff to finalize a change‑order fee ordinance recommended by the tax collector (to cover administrative time on fee changes) and to return draft Westfield rates and rental agreements at the next meeting. The borough will also continue periodic maintenance contracts with a turf company that visits roughly twice per year.
Ending: Staff will draft updated Westfield fee proposals and contract terms and return them to council for adoption; council emphasized building reserves to fund eventual turf replacement.
