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Council directs staff to research funding options after debate over NAMA pickleball fundraiser
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Summary
After a lengthy discussion about fee waivers and equitable policy, the Norwalk City Council voted to direct staff to research funding options — including LMI eligibility and possible foundation/chamber mechanisms — for a NAMA pickleball fundraiser, rather than approving an immediate fee waiver.
The Norwalk City Council on April 16 stopped short of approving a fee waiver for the Norwalk Area Ministerial Association’s (NAMA) proposed pickleball fundraiser and instead voted to direct staff to do further research on funding and policy options.
Council members and staff spent more than an hour discussing whether allowing NAMA to use the Field House without paying rental fees would create precedent and how the city could responsibly support local social‑service providers. Parks and recreation staff (Carissa) told the council that the parks commission’s informal consensus was that Field House use should include a fee to cover costs, noting housing of program fees and that most comparable communities charge for facility use.
Angie Kroll, executive director of NAMA, described the nonprofit’s work feeding families and providing emergency aid to Norwalk residents and said treating court time as an in‑kind donation or city co‑sponsorship could be appropriate. “All of our services obviously go directly to Norwalk residents or kids in Norwalk schools,” Kroll said, noting NAMA’s reliance on local volunteer and business support.
Council members raised legal and equity concerns. One member cited the city attorney’s warning that the auditor scrutinizes grants and gifts and emphasized that the city must establish a demonstrable public purpose for any donation or fee waiver. Several members suggested alternatives, including asking private civic groups (for example, 100 Men of Norwalk) to contribute, using limited LMI (low‑to‑moderate‑income) funding if the event and beneficiary clearly qualify, or routing funds through a community foundation or a chamber foundation to separate city administration from discretionary decisions.
Jean, finance staff, said the city’s LMI funds currently have capacity to cover modest requests and indicated staff would check eligibility rules. Council members discussed a range of possible approaches — full fee waiver, partial grant up to $5,000, a flat discounted court‑fee, or no city financial support — and the risk that one concession could trigger many similar requests.
Instead of approving NAMA’s request tonight, Council member (speaker 10) moved to select staff option 4 (conduct further research on funding sources, eligibility and policy mechanisms); the motion was seconded and carried on roll call. The motion instructs staff to return with legal parameters, possible funding sources (including LMI and hotel/motel tax options), and recommended criteria or a program for future requests.
Next steps: staff will research eligibility for LMI dollars and options for third‑party administration (foundation or chamber), then report back to council with a recommended policy and an implementation path before any fee waivers are routinely granted.
