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Residents urge Louisa supervisors to keep turf-field fees low as board seeks access and protections
Summary
Residents, youth-sports leaders and parks staff clashed over proposed turf-field rules and fees that would set a $30/hour base rate and $10/hour for lights; supervisors directed staff to negotiate MOUs with local youth organizations and return with a final policy rather than vote tonight.
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors heard nearly an hour of public comment Monday about rules and fees for two newly built synthetic turf fields behind the middle school, with youth-sports volunteers and parents urging the board to keep access affordable for local nonprofit programs.
Parks staff presented a proposed operating rule set that includes a $30-per-field hourly rental rate, a $10-per-hour lights charge and a two-hour minimum for users who are not directly affiliated with schools or county programs. The staff presentation said the county will continue a longstanding 50% discount for qualifying local nonprofits that meet two of three criteria: serve youth or seniors, are free and open to the public, and are a 501(c)(3). The presentation also emphasized controlled access and on-site supervision to protect the turf surface.
"Increasing the cost by over 50% would be unsustainable for our program," Danielle Campbell, travel commissioner for LAHSA, told the board. "After spending this much money, it seems unfortunate that the families that participate in the LASA program should shoulder additional cost to utilize the fields they deserve access to." Marla Regan, a Louisa Youth Athletic Association board member, said the fields were a "tremendous asset" but urged the board not to increase fees for local nonprofit youth leagues and to create a clear resident/nonprofit rate separate from out‑of‑county and tournament pricing.
Speakers described practical concerns: mandatory reservations that could prevent families from using the fields informally; a proposed on‑site supervisor fee; and weather or scheduling rules that could limit the turf’s all‑weather advantage. Parks staff said the supervisor role is necessary to enforce turf rules and prevent damage that would shorten the field’s life.
Supervisor Williams moved to exempt two county youth groups (LASA and the Louisa Youth Athletic Association) from the hourly fee for a 12‑month pilot and directed parks staff to negotiate memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with those organizations for use, staffing and any flat‑fee alternatives. The board did not adopt a final fee schedule Monday; supervisors asked staff to return with a refined proposal and MOUs at the next meeting.
Board members stressed a two‑part goal: protect the county’s $6–7 million investment in turf while keeping the fields available to local youth. Several supervisors also said the county should charge significantly more to out‑of‑county or commercial users to avoid outside groups taking peak hours.
The board did not vote on final fees and will revisit the policy with the parks department’s recommended MOUs and a proposed tiered fee structure at a future meeting.
