Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hartland trustees approve streamlined park-shelter and athletic-field fees, user-group deposit change
Summary
Trustees voted to simplify reservation categories, remove participant-count tiers and replace multiple deposits with single refundable deposits for user groups; board asked staff to return with refined ball-field prep costs.
The Village Board of Hartland approved changes to park shelter and athletic-field reservation fees intended to simplify the rental process, replace multiple participant deposits with single refundable deposits and adjust field-prep charges for soccer and football fields.
Why it matters: The changes affect family reservations, recurring user groups and organized sports leagues that use village fields and shelters. Trustees said they wanted a clearer, easier-to-administer fee structure and to ensure users cover the village’s costs for field preparation.
What the board approved: The village removed the former “number of participants” tiers and the separate participant deposit and consolidated the refund structure. For user groups, the board approved a single refundable annual deposit of $2,000 (to be returned unless damage occurred). Village staff raised the employment and material costs that go into field prep; soccer and football field-prep fees were increased (for example, soccer/football field prep was changed from $80 to $150 in the packet explanation) to better reflect the time and materials needed to paint lines and ready fields.
Trustees discussed: Several trustees pressed staff to quantify staff time and other costs used to calculate field-prep fees. Staff said they will return to Park Board with a breakdown of labor (summer help and full-time staff), chalk/paint and equipment usage and an estimated annual number of preps (about 180 preps, per staff’s rough calculation). Trustees also discussed tax-exempt vs. taxable rentals and how that affects bookings made online.
Park board role and next steps: Staff said Park Board approved the package but asked staff to continue refining the field-prep calculation and return with any required amendments. Trustees moved and approved the ordinance change to streamline fees and deposits; staff will bring any subsequently calculated fee changes for field prep back through Park Board before the next board consideration.
Ending: The board approved the fee and deposit restructuring and directed staff to finish the field-prep cost analysis and return to Park Board and the trustees if adjustments are needed.
