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Commission adopts athletic field use policy to formalize priorities, fees and enforcement
Summary
Washoe County commissioners approved an Athletic Field Use Policy to set permitting priorities (county programs highest), roster and deposit rules, inclement weather guidance, and equipment storage and key procedures; the policy takes effect March 1, 2026.
The Washoe County Open Space and Regional Parks Commission voted Jan. 28 to adopt a formal Athletic Field Use Policy designed to standardize permitting, prioritize use, and protect turf and facilities.
Recreation coordinator Jason Albury told the commission the policy formalizes long‑standing practices and adds operational specifics: priorities for allocations (1 is highest, 6 lowest), updated fees and due dates, conditions for withholding security deposits (for unpaid utility costs or leftover equipment), inclement‑weather guidance to avoid turf damage, and new rules on keys, batting-cage netting removal in winter and labeling of soccer goals.
"One is highest priority. Six is lowest priority," Albury said, describing the priority order and how higher priority does not guarantee full allocation of all requested fields. Commissioners asked how the county will address leagues that reserve more fields than they use to maintain priority; Albury said staff plans to do better usage tracking with spot checks and that teams not using paid fields may lose priority status.
Commissioner Dake moved to approve the policy, with play permitted to begin March 1, 2026; Commissioner Joel seconded and the motion carried.
What happens next: staff will implement tracking and spot checks of field usage, finalize fee and roster processes, and pursue master‑planning work at specific parks such as Lazy 5 to expand capacity in the long term.
