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Local leagues report spring readiness; board hears permitting changes and safety concerns
Summary
Representatives from the football, soccer, baseball/softball and ultimate frisbee leagues reported registration and program updates, asked for operational support, and raised safety and access concerns; staff described planned changes to online permitting for tournaments to involve police, fire and code enforcement reviews.
Representatives from Lower Makefield’s youth sports organizations updated the parks board on spring registration and program needs and raised operational and safety concerns ahead of the season.
Daryl Mousley, vice president of the Lower Mayfield Football Association, reported a successful 2025 fall season and described a pilot "Tough Club" program that paired high-school volunteers with youths and young adults with disabilities; he said the pilot was small but beneficial and that he will work with staff to expand it.
Doug Sarnia, the new president of YMS, said the youth soccer organization recently recorded just under 900 players in the rec season and completed community outreach such as a Toys for Tots drive; he said YMS looks forward to collaborating with township staff on the spring schedule.
A representative from PAAA (identified in the transcript as Commissioner Pezar) outlined plans for a 50th‑anniversary travel softball event, fundraising programs to offset participant costs, and technical needs for field infrastructure including running electricity to the Mac A scoreboard and concerns about obtaining nonprofit tax‑exempt certificates for scoreboard purchases.
Mike Brown, who runs the Makefield Ultimate summer league, described participation trends, challenges recruiting girls, and registration verification problems for out‑of‑town participants. Brown also disclosed ongoing serious health issues and asked the board to consider succession planning to ensure the league’s continuity if he becomes unable to continue. He flagged a safety concern about the distance and nighttime visibility of existing bathrooms at Memorial Park when middle‑school teams play at twilight.
On permitting, staff said solicitor‑reviewed league contracts are under township manager review and that the township will use an OpenGov online workflow for special events and tournaments; police, fire and code enforcement will review tournament applications to ensure adequate medical and crowd safety coverage. Staff said the new workflow will clarify when an event rises above routine reservations and needs additional public‑safety staffing.
Board members acknowledged the leagues’ requests and said they will work with staff to finalize contracts, permitting details and any needed field infrastructure support ahead of spring season openings.
