Santa Clara staff to present revised field-fee proposal after debate over nonresident discounts

Santa Clara Parks and Recreation staff will present a draft fee schedule to the Parks and Recreation Commission on March 10 after local youth sports groups debated whether nonresident nonprofit teams should receive discounted field permits.

The discussion centered on two related proposals: a resident nonprofit discount that would cut fees by half for organizations whose rosters are at least 75% Santa Clara residents, and a proposed new ‘‘Category 5’’ for youth nonprofits that do not meet the 75% threshold but have some Santa Clara residency (staff discussion referenced a 15% residency marker in the draft proposal). Staff said the 75% residency proposal would reduce an $8-per-hour permit to $4 per hour for qualifying groups.

Kim Castro, Parks and Recreation manager, led the staff presentation and summarized the existing proposal: "The proposal was for this category only, the way I understand it, ... having at least 75% or more residents on their roster would pay a reduced permit fee of 50%." Castro said the meeting was intended to refine fees and field-allocation priorities before the commission review.

AYSO Region 64 Regional Commissioner Michael Hsu,…