The Lakeville Park Commission voted Jan. 23 to raise several user fees and to approve updated field-use applications and event requests, including a conditional approval for an April vacation flag-football camp.

Participation fee vote: After discussion that compared a modest annual increase with larger one-time hikes, the commission rejected a motion to raise the regular-season participation fee to $30 and then approved a motion to raise the fee from $24 to $25 for the 2025 season. The roll-call during the successful motion recorded Commissioner Melissa as voting yes, Commissioner Scott as voting no, Commissioner Harry as voting yes, and the chair as voting yes; the motion carried.

Tournament and outside-group fees: Commissioners voted to raise the tournament per-player fee for in-town league tournaments from $2 to $3 and to raise the per-player fee for outside groups (non-affiliated tournaments/clinics/camps) from $10 to $12. The motion passed.

Event fees and flat-fee users: The commission raised the event per-person participation fee to $8 (from a prior baseline) and agreed to retain flat-fee arrangements for longstanding community groups (for example, FLAA and New England Beach Volleyball) at their current negotiated levels.

Field-use and application changes: Commissioners approved an updated field-time application and a separate tournament/clinic application with edits discussed at the meeting. The updates clarified that tournaments, clinics and camps are separate application categories and added an “other” schedule option for groups whose seasons cross the two listed seasonal blocks. The commission also affirmed a rule to deny future approvals to groups with outstanding bills until those accounts are settled.

Flag-football camp: The commission conditionally approved an April vacation flag-football camp proposed by Eric Stanley (April 14–17, 9 a.m.–11 a.m.). Approval is contingent on submission of the appropriate tournament/clinic/camp application, proof of insurance naming the town, and any Board of Health requirements for camps; staff will provide the organizer with the correct application and a checklist of conditions.

Why it matters: The fee changes aim to recover modest, recurring field and maintenance costs; commissioners said small per-player increases can help cover fertilizer, equipment parts and routine maintenance while spreading cost across participants. The application updates are intended to reduce confusion and ensure consistent billing, invoicing and scheduling.

Ending: The commission approved the fee schedule changes and directed staff to update web materials and application forms to reflect the new fees and the conditional requirements for event approvals.