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Brookpark council adopts ArbiterPay contract to streamline referee payments
Summary
Council approved an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute a one‑year ArbiterPay contract for referee scheduling and payments, authorizing up to $30,000 for 2026; council asked the law department to review the vendor’s updated payer agreement before final execution.
Brookpark’s council voted Nov. 5 to authorize a contract with ArbiterPay to handle scheduling and payments for recreation referees, a move officials said will replace a paper‑based checks process and speed pay to officials.
Mayor Orcutt told council the system will help operations at the recreation center and “help with the efficiency of paying our referees.” Recreation Director Chris Wedmore described the current process as cumbersome, saying staff now collect contractor paperwork, verify attendance and send paperwork to finance. “Streamlining this is where all the other organizations and municipalities in the area have been using ArbiterPay for some time,” Wedmore said.
Council members questioned fees and contract language. Councilman Poindexter noted the contract in the packet was dated April 1, 2023, while the vendor’s website showed an updated payer agreement dated Aug. 15, 2024, and requested that the law department review the current version before the city executes the agreement. Wedmore confirmed ArbiterPay issues 1099s and that the city’s finance department would retain payment authorization responsibilities.
Officials said the city currently pays about $28,000 to referees and estimated the $30,000 authorization would cover payments plus processing fees. Council discussed fee tiers for small payments and whether the platform offers security features such as two‑factor authentication; Wedmore offered to gather those technical details for the law or finance departments.
The ordinance (assigned 11504‑2025) was placed on the council agenda at caucus and later passed by council under suspension of the rules. Council members said they expect the law department to review and, if necessary, amend the agreement to the city’s current payer form before final execution.
The council’s action authorizes the mayor to accept contract terms and conditions with ArbiterPay and to authorize an administrator for scheduling and payment purposes for calendar year 2026; it declares an emergency to expedite implementation.
