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Board discusses turf-field access, staffing and reservation rules at St. Mary's County parks
Summary
Board members and staff reviewed how the county's new turf fields are scheduled and monitored, including reserved-permit rules, staffing differences among parks, reservation fees and enforcement to protect field investments.
Board members and department staff reviewed use and access rules for the county's recently built turf fields and discussed how staffing and permitting affect public availability.
Director Shepherd and other staff explained that turf-field projects were funded with county money and that access rules vary by site. Chancellors Run Regional Park has staff on site and allows some daytime public access when fields are not reserved; other turf fields are managed primarily by permit and are not open for casual drop-in use. "We have staff there. We can see the behaviors... and that's the whole thing, that those fields stay game ready with that investment over the years," Shepherd said.
The board discussed reservation fees and examples: staff said small-group reservations can be available (staff cited an illustrative $35 hourly rate for small groups), while youth organizations typically pay standard participation fees rather than individual hourly rental rates. Speakers noted the trade-off between protecting a costly turf investment and maximizing public access.
Board members asked whether the fields were funded by Open Space funds; staff said the turf projects were fully county-funded, not from Program Open Space. The board discussed whether placing staff at busy turf campuses would enable broader access and better enforcement of permitted uses; the department said adding staff would increase operating costs and would require budget consideration. The conversation followed a larger board discussion and motion earlier in the meeting requesting maintenance funding and staffing for parks.
Staff said the department intends to continue refining reservation procedures and that permit-only rules and staffing will remain tools to preserve the turf fields' lifespan. Board members asked staff to include field-staffing impacts when they prepare cost estimates for the commissioners.
