Parks board approves vendor contracts; Soccer Land United deal marches forward amid fee and schedule discrepancies

The Elkhart City Parks and Recreation Board on May 6 approved multiple vendor contracts, including a reduced-rate billboard agreement with Lamar Advertising and a use-and-training agreement with Kendall Vegetation Services, and authorized Soccer Land United to use Studebaker Park soccer fields while staff resolves paperwork discrepancies.

Parks staff presented a Lamar Advertising contract to place billboards across the city promoting the farmers market, the Rap City Festival and parks programming at a significantly reduced rate; the board moved, seconded and approved the contract by voice vote.

Parks staff then introduced James Zerniki, superintendent, to summarize a contract with Kendall Vegetation Services. The agreement covers a pavilion rental at Studebaker Park and the supervised use of one to two trees for rope-based training of Kendall employees. Staff said Kendall will supply a certificate of liability, will not use spikes on the trees, and that staff selected healthy trees for the training; the board approved the contract by voice vote.

A more detailed exchange focused on Soccer Land United, which has used the city's soccer fields for more than a decade. Staff said Soccer Land had previously been told they could be charged $35 per game although the current fee schedule shows $50 per game; staff recommended honoring the previously agreed $35 rate for this season because of the long-standing relationship and the club's informal help with field maintenance. Board members asked staff to confirm administrative paperwork: the permit application lists a May 26–Oct. 26 range while the contract lists May 8–Sept. 19 (or 20), and the documents list either 182 or 192 total games. Staff agreed to double-check the correct dates and game-count and reported they would document rain dates and makeup games before approving additional dates.

After that exchange the board moved, seconded and approved the Soccer Land United contract for use of Studebaker Park soccer fields; staff will confirm the final schedule, the exact number of games and how the fee will be applied for this season.

None of the motions produced roll-call vote records listing individual votes; each passed on voice vote. The board did not adopt written amendments to the agreements at the May 6 meeting; follow-up administrative confirmations on dates, game counts and fee application were assigned to parks staff.