Lennox committee backs sending revised field‑use fee policy for out‑of‑district teams to City Council

The Parks & Recreation advisory committee voted to recommend that City Council adopt a revised field‑use fee policy that would charge non‑Lennox organizations for use of city ballfields while preserving priority and waiver rules for resident and partner programs.

Committee discussion centered on whether to charge external travel or amateur teams or to rely on scheduling to preserve access for city‑sponsored programs. Parks staff presented a draft fee schedule offering sample rates — $15 per hour for practices, $50 per game and $100 per field per day for tournaments — and asked the committee whether partner groups should be exempted. Parks staff also noted an existing council resolution from December that lists a $100 daily fee for field use.

John Kurtner, who identified himself during public comment, stressed the historical role of volunteer organizations in maintaining facilities and urged that longtime partners such as the American Legion not be charged. "I live here, too, but I'm getting charged a fee to play baseball here," Kurtner said, arguing the Legion and similar groups have provided volunteer labor and concession support.

Casey Shade, representing the Lennox School District, described the district’s approach to partnerships and facility agreements, saying many districts use an "approved partnership" process and hourly arrangements to simplify scheduling and custodial costs.

After debate about resident fairness, scheduling mechanics and whether fees would deter participation, the committee approved a motion to send the revised fee structure to City Council that: (a) applies fees to external users from outside the Lennox school district; (b) allows waivers when at least 75% of participants are district residents (so local amateur teams can remain exempt); and (c) removes a proposed non‑waiver clause that had barred discretionary exemptions for some competing programs. The committee approved the recommendation by voice vote.

Staff said the committee’s recommendation will go to City Council for review; council retains authority to change fee amounts or amend the existing resolution. Staff also said they will refine scheduling processes (using a live reservation document) to preserve practice time for city rec programs.

The committee did not adopt new fee levels itself; members suggested the sample rates be forwarded to council for consideration and clarified that the existing resolution caps a daily fee at $100. The committee left details — including whether fees should be hourly or daily and the precise waiver criteria language — for council review.