Parks committee adds Park Arthur Field 4 to paid schedule; major capital projects move forward

The Muskego Parks and Conservation Committee voted to add Park Arthur Field 4 to the municipality's fee schedule and received staff updates on several capital projects, including a boat-ramp replacement and pending dredging work.

The committee approved a revision to the athletic-field usage policy to move Field 4 from the no-fee column onto the paid column that governs Fields 1'3. Recreation Manager Tammy said the change brings Field 4 into the existing fee structure for Park Arthur and emphasized that staff is "not recommending increasing the fees" this year; the change simply brings the new turf field into the same schedule as the other turf fields. Tammy also said a $1,000 fee will apply if the movable mound system must be removed for a nontraditional use that requires four DPW staff to lift and store the system.

Why it matters: Field 4 is the final Park Arthur field to receive turf; staff said adding the field to the fee schedule and building a replacement reserve from tournament and rental revenue is part of a long-term plan to finance turf replacement and maintenance.

Supporting details: Staff described a $400,000 private donation that helped fund turf installation at Park Arthur and credited in-house DPW project management with saving several hundred thousand dollars on the project. The committee was told the city and DNR matched funds for a separate Idle Isle boat-ramp replacement and that contractors are under contract for several projects already in progress.

Motion and outcome: A motion to approve the policy change was made and seconded; the committee voted by voice and the chair declared the motion approved.

What's next: Staff will implement the updated fee schedule for Field 4 and continue work on Idle Isle's ramp and other capital projects. The committee did not increase routine fees this year.