Redding Council directs staff to develop city-run model to keep Sports Park operating

The Redding City Council voted to direct staff to develop a City of Redding staffed operations and maintenance model for the Redding Sports Park and to return to the council with a staffing plan and budget for consideration at the March meeting.

The council action follows a multi-hour discussion of long-term options for the sports complex, including continuing a city-run model, issuing a request for proposals for a third-party operator, or shuttering or selling the facility. Council members and public commenters stressed the park’s community value but also warned that the facility requires substantial capital work to remain viable.

Travis Meany, Community Services director, told the council the city opened the park under a short-term plan on Oct. 1 using a $200,000 allocation for operations, maintenance and repairs. “We have had 15,700 people come through the door,” Meany said, and the city has secured sponsorship and grant funding including a $200,000 sponsorship from the Reading Tourism and Marketing Group for sand-volleyball courts and a $150,000 lighting grant for one field. Meany said those funds and current revenues make the short-term model operationally sustainable but not a long-term solution.

Meany presented three long-term paths: (1) continue as a city-run facility with a…