Park board subcommittee proposes new registration, rental and association rules for Keller Sports Park

The Chair of the Park and Recreation Board presented a subcommittee recommendation to overhaul user agreements, registration fees and field-rental rules at Keller Sports Park, saying the documents had not seen substantive updates since 2014.

The presentation argued the park’s revenue historically came “solely by nonresidents,” and that 2024 registration fees totaled about $132,000. To modernize administration and reduce confusion, the subcommittee recommended a one-time registration charge per player per 12-month period rather than per season and tighter user agreements that allow enforcement and prioritization of affiliated associations.

“Everybody that has an opinion on this has—they want the best,” the subcommittee presenter said, adding that “the number one objective for this Keller Sports Park is that is to serve youth recreational sports.” The proposal described three coordinated elements — updated user agreements, field rentals, and registration fees — that the subcommittee called the “three legs of the stool.”

The revised fee model presented to the board included a resident registration fee of $10 per player with a family cap (previous drafts listed a $40 family cap), and a nonresident charge set at about $60 per player for a 12-month period. The subcommittee said staff and the associations raised concerns that a per‑season resident fee would create “sticker shock,” and the 12‑month approach was intended to simplify administration and reduce repeat charges for multi‑season players.

The group also proposed a discounted association rental rate for groups that sign an up‑to‑date user agreement and meet accountability standards. Presenters said the association rate addresses associations’ concerns that rental fees layered on top of registration fees would overwhelm their budgets, and that the association arrangement would include coach registration, background checks and obligations to leave fields in acceptable condition.

“We need to put restrictions…during season, it’s only open to the associations,” the presenter said, describing the priority access as an enforcement mechanism tied to user agreements and accountability. The subcommittee said the B‑pad synthetic field would be priced higher than other pads because renting that surface effectively reserves the entire large field.

Board members questioned administration and equity implications. One member (Peggy) asked whether associations would still pay for umpires and other costs; presenters responded that associations continue to include such costs in their pricing and manage those obligations. Other members raised concerns that exclusive seasonal access might result in fields sitting idle, and that a one‑time 12‑month resident fee might shift more cost onto residents. The subcommittee maintained its financial model showed the revised approach would not “leave money on the table” once registration and rental revenue were combined.

No formal vote on policy changes occurred at the meeting. Staff said the subcommittee’s recommendation will be routed to the Keller Development Corporation (KDC) and then to city council for further review and any formal action. The board asked that the topic remain on future agendas for monitoring and that proposed fee and rental instruments be refined with staff and associations before any adoption by council.

Next steps: the subcommittee will provide materials to KDC and request council consideration; staff will continue work on administrative instruments (tracking, coach registration and rental procedures) and return updated language to the board.