Hooksett committee weighs field rental fees, formal agreement with youth association to fund upkeep

HOOKSETT — Members of the Hooksett Parks and Recreation Committee on Wednesday reviewed field-use practices and fees in nearby towns and discussed a possible pricing schedule to help pay for maintenance and capital improvements.

Committee members said the goal of a pricing schedule would be modest revenue deposited in the town’s recreation revolving fund to pay for repairs, sod replacement, dugouts, fencing and future lighting work at Petersburg fields. Members asked staff to draft a first-pass schedule for committee review and said any final proposal would go to the Town Council and include public input and meetings with the largest user, the Hooksett Youth Athletic Association (HYA).

The committee heard survey information gathered from other towns showing a wide variety of fee approaches. Reported examples included a turf-rate of $125 per hour in one town (November–April) and $90 per hour (May–October) in the same jurisdiction; a $200/hour turf rental in another community; youth-team fees ranging from about $100 to $130 per team per season in several towns; and tournament fees reported in one…