Post Falls hears Little League concerns over field fees; staff outlines discounts, credits and possible cost‑recovery policy

Local Little League representatives told the city council earlier this month that field rental costs for youth baseball were "exceedingly large," and at the March 24 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting Brian Meyers, the city’s parks manager, laid out how fees and credits have been applied and what the city might consider next.

"They cited a number of $12,000 a year to utilize the fields for their purposes," Meyers said, summarizing what council members had heard. Meyers told the commission the city's operating agreement with Little League gives that organization a two‑week reservation priority (access beginning Feb. 15), payment deadlines (due March 31), a 50% discount off the established hourly fee, a waiver of field‑prep fees when Little League performs prep work itself, and an ability to credit in‑kind capital improvements (for example, a donated scoreboard) against fees.

Meyers provided usage and fee history to give context. He said hourly rental rates were $10 an hour in 2015 (with a $25 prep fee), rose to $15 an hour in 2023 and that council was recommended in late 2025 to move to a $20 hourly rate and a $50 prep fee. Meyers also reported a wide range in annual totals tied to program size: the highest recent year cited was about $9,300 (when Little League ran an additional fall league) and the lowest recent year was $3,460; he said in a separate season totals reached about $22,000 when a combination of factors and added user hours were included. Meyers noted a past donation of a scoreboard that produced an $8,500 credit spread across multiple years.

Little League told council it seeks fuller access and requested a complete fee waiver for youth sports. Meyers said the city does not currently waive all fees; instead the operating agreement attempts to recognize historic maintenance contributions by the league and to provide discounted reservation access. He said neighbouring jurisdictions handle agreements differently—examples included a neighboring community that provides four exclusive fields for about $4,000 under a contract with a 5% annual escalator, and others where Little League takes on most maintenance duties and receives lower or nominal fees.

Meyers recommended the commission consider a broader "cost recovery and resource allocation" policy (a midterm goal from the city's 2020 park master plan) to address competing needs, to set clearer rules for subsidies and in‑kind credits, and to consider whether Little League’s historical role justifies ongoing discounts. Commissioners discussed the need for more data and a possible workshop to develop a cross‑division policy with parks, recreation and finance staff. No formal fee change was adopted at the March 24 meeting.