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Board discusses permanent shade for fields; staff flags flexibility and cost concerns
Summary
Board members raised player- and coach-safety concerns and revenue considerations tied to permanent shade structures for fields 9–12; staff warned permanent shade can limit field flexibility and recommended periodic reconsideration of the capital item.
Board members discussed whether to pursue permanent shade structures at fields 9, 10, 11 and 12, citing player safety and the heat during tournaments as reasons to investigate the capital upgrade.
A board member asked whether permanent shade had been considered; a staff member said the item could be reexamined but cautioned that permanent shade restricts the ability to reconfigure multipurpose fields. The staff member said: “If you put permanent shade, you then have to make it a permanent field for that sport… it does limit the flexibility of a lot of our multipurpose fields,” and suggested relooking at the option periodically.
Board members also discussed a cost example for portable tents: a board attendee said the local WCFL spends about $67,000 on tents that are prone to wind damage, using that as context for whether a higher-cost permanent solution might be warranted.
Why it matters: Permanent shade could improve safety and comfort for players and coaches during hot weather and for large tournaments, but it may reduce field flexibility, complicate multi-age programming and require capital funding decisions.
Next steps Staff said the village can research permanent-shade options and costs and present trade-offs to the board for future consideration. No formal decision or funding commitment was made at the meeting.
