District debates tiered facility fees and stadium wording; committee removes 'concession' language

Committee members at the East Allegheny SD meeting debated how to charge external groups for facility use, weighing a flat fee against tiered fees that would account for frequency of use, personnel costs and security needs.

Speakers raised practical examples: one member noted groups that practice daily versus weekly, arguing that a flat fee treats those users the same; another suggested tiering by number of days and personnel requirements. The chair (S3) and S4 discussed security surcharges for fan-based events and personnel fees for groups that need staffing, with S4 saying the stadium fee appeared low in initial benchmarks.

The group confirmed an agreement not to run concessions and agreed to remove the word "concession" from stadium descriptions. They also agreed to add an annual standing agenda item to review fees and usage and ratify a fee structure each August/September so the district can review profits, losses and usage before adopting fees for the coming year.

Committee members asked staff to produce comparative quotes (for example, window film and stadium costs) and to bring vendor numbers and recommended fee tiers back to the committee for review.

The discussion focused on implementation details rather than a final fee schedule; the committee planned follow-up work to finalize tiers and security charges.