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Columbia County adopts new ball-field fee structure giving preference to local teams
Summary
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners adopted resolution 2025R-18, restating the parks fee schedule and creating a discounted field-reservation rate for travel teams with at least 80% Columbia County students.
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners on a voice vote adopted resolution 2025R-18 on fees for use of county ball fields, creating a discounted reservation rate for travel teams made up primarily of Columbia County students.
County staff described the change as a local-preference policy intended to lower costs for teams composed mostly of students who attend county schools. Under the adopted rules, Columbia County travel teams that document at least 80% of their roster as attending county schools may reserve a field for a season for $100; out-of-area travel teams will continue to pay the $300 per field, per month rate for practice use when fields are available.
Joel (county staff) told the board that staff and county parks representatives met with six coaches and incorporated their recommendations into the updated fee schedule. Teams qualifying as “Columbia County” teams must submit a report card no more than three months old for each player as proof of residency or school attendance; coaches may redact grades. The county’s parks office staff member Deborah Admire will review rosters and documentation after teams hold tryouts.
The resolution also places limits on reservations: a team may reserve no more than one field at a time unless it can document a separate roster for each additional team, and reservations are set for the entire season (fall or spring) once approved. County staff said reservations open during a defined window in July–August and again in December–January.
The policy includes an enforcement provision that allows county or law enforcement personnel to remove teams using fields without a reservation. Joel told the board that the process is intended to reduce conflicts over field use and to “lock in” reservations for qualifying local teams.
The board chair asked for comment and indicated the changes were adopted with a motion and second; the vote was taken by voice and the transcript records the motion as approved.
County staff said the resolution is intended to be revisited if operational issues arise during fall ball and that staff will return with recommended changes if needed.
