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City, school district negotiating IGA to open school fields and indoor spaces for community recreation
Summary
Officials said an intergovernmental agreement approved by the Lake Havasu Unified School District will go to city council for consideration; the IGA would let the parks and recreation department schedule and manage unused school fields, gyms and classrooms for community programs.
Lake Havasu City Mayor Cal Sheehy said on March 7 that an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Lake Havasu Unified School District — already approved by the school board — will appear before the City Council on Tuesday for consideration.
The IGA would let the city’s parks and recreation department use unused school fields, gymnasiums and classrooms during times the district is not using them. Sheehy and parks and recreation staff said the arrangement would allow the city to expand after‑school programs, summer camps and organized youth and adult leagues while avoiding the high cost of building new fields on undeveloped land.
"Why not get in a partnership with our school district? Each of their elementary schools, their high school, all has available land," parks and recreation staff said at the briefing. The city would manage scheduling, improvements (lights, trash receptacles, water fountains) and maintenance for community use.
Sheehy said the district’s bond program (passed in 2017) completed many of the district’s improvements, which freed up scheduling opportunities for the city. City staff said the IGA represents a lower‑cost approach to expand field access compared with grading and building new fields in undeveloped desert terrain.
City staff said the IGA also would enable the city to improve fields incrementally and coordinate user groups for practices and games. The council will formally consider the IGA at its next meeting, Sheehy said.
