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Bannock County, Pocatello-area soccer club to negotiate field-fee deal after commissioners question $314,000 subsidy
Summary
After a lengthy discussion, Bannock County commissioners and representatives of PBFC agreed to continue negotiations next week over the county’s subsidy for Bannock Fields, the club’s fee structure and a proposed multi-year contract. Commissioners suggested a one-year contract while staff and club leaders prepare financials.
Representatives from PBFC and Bannock County officials spent more than an hour on Aug. 12 discussing fees, subsidies and the maintenance burden tied to Bannock Fields, and agreed to return next week with more detailed financial proposals.
Mary Keller, PBFC president, told the Bannock County Board of Commissioners that parents had complained about field conditions and about increases players had been charged. Keller said PBFC’s fee charged to the county for use of the fields has been held at roughly $12,000 for three years while the club estimated the full cost to operate the fields at about $326,950 per year. Keller said those figures reflect time and expense: watering, fertilizer and pest control efforts that the club and county have both contributed.
Courtney Liu, who handles the club’s finances, and Kevin Carter, PBFC treasurer, described a recent series of fee adjustments the club implemented after several years without an increase. Club leadership said some parents perceived those increases as directed at field maintenance; PBFC leaders said the increases were also intended to fund the club’s indoor facility project and other club needs. Club representatives told commissioners PBFC currently serves about 1,700 participants across its programs.
Commissioners pressed the club on the county’s overall subsidy. A county official said Bannock County has been subsidizing the fields by roughly $314,000 a year. Commissioners suggested a shorter, one-year contract rather than a three-year agreement so the county and the club can negotiate a long-term master plan for additional fields and sponsorships. Commissioner Moseley asked for transparency on club finances and reserves; PBFC representatives agreed to provide financial details.
Discussion included operational impacts from large tournaments — the club reported its spring classic drew roughly 152 teams last year — and the county noted maintenance impacts such as broken sprinkler lines that required county repairs. Commissioners proposed a target contribution range to narrow the gap between the club’s historical $12,741 annual payment and the fields’ full costs; one commissioner suggested a figure “somewhere in the $20,000 range,” another suggested approximately $30,000.
The board agreed to allow PBFC to use the fields while both sides prepare numbers and return to the commissioners at a scheduled meeting next Tuesday. Commissioners and club leaders said the county wants to preserve youth opportunities while also ensuring the county budget and facility maintenance needs are covered.
Quotes (selected) "It's my impression that the fee reduction was to help the youth of the county." — Mary Keller, PBFC president "We have a big group. We have a big group of kids, ... about 1,700 right now." — Mary Keller, PBFC president "Somewhere in that $20,000 range is where I'd be looking." — Commissioner (name not specified)
Next steps PBFC and county staff will meet with the commissioners next Tuesday to present financial breakdowns and negotiate a contract term and fee that both sides consider fair.
