Flagstaff Parks staff propose needs-based athletic field allocation for 2026

Haley Reynolds, investment marketing manager for Flagstaff Parks & Recreation, told the commission the department will change how it allocates youth athletic fields beginning in 2026. The new approach would assign space based on submitted registration numbers and by season, rather than by historic allocations that give large blocks of time to a few long-standing user groups.

Reynolds said staff held a mandatory, in-person meeting with existing user groups this summer to discuss the change and grouped participants by sport to identify needs. “Moving forward, that allocation will be based off of true needs. So your number — we need your registration numbers in advance to actually properly allocate the field,” Reynolds said.

Why it matters: Commissioners and staff said the change is intended to open access to more clubs and leagues in a city where field types are multiuse, lighted fields are limited, and demand has risen with new user groups. Staff said the goal is to reduce situations where residents are turned away while a permitted group has paid for but is not efficiently using a lighted field.

Reynolds described how the new model would work: allocations will be seasonal (spring, summer, fall) with some leniency where seasons overlap; recreational leagues would continue to pay per child while competitive club teams would pay hourly for field time and lights. Staff also said lights are a major constraint — there are relatively few lighted fields — and adding lights is costly and site-dependent.

Commissioners asked about transition impacts and fairness. Commissioners and staff discussed that sports with seasons that don’t match typical seasonal windows (for example, girls softball that runs into June) would be accommodated so the change does not force teams to shorten seasons. Reynolds acknowledged the shift will be substantial for some long-standing groups and said staff will meet with soccer clubs and other sports in coming months to finalize spring allocations.

Supporting details and constraints: staff said Flagstaff’s outdoor field season is April 1–Nov. 30; the department currently manages about 22 athletic fields (17 baseball/softball fields and 4 multipurpose fields) and that full-size soccer options on city-owned fields are limited (Foxglen and Thorpe multipurpose cited). Staff noted intergovernmental agreements with Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) provide additional school fields but that FUSD programming takes priority and their prices recently rose substantially.

Next steps and budget questions: commissioners asked whether new lighting would be added as part of the budget. Staff said lighting retrofits are expensive and site-specific; recent retrofit estimates discussed in the meeting ranged from roughly $250,000 for some projects and higher for extensive retrofits. Staff said a capital project that includes lighting would be considered through future budget and capital planning.

The commission did not take formal action on the allocation proposal at the meeting; staff said they will continue outreach to user groups and return with implementation details and schedules before the 2026 allocation cycle.