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Residents urge council not to charge Little League; council asks staff to draft MOU
Summary
At the March 4 Cordova City Council meeting, residents urged the council to scrap proposed fees for Little League fields and asked that the city instead draft a memorandum of understanding to recognize volunteer operations; council directed staff to draft options and consider temporary fee waivers.
Residents filled the council chamber on March 4 to oppose a proposed fee for Little League use of city baseball fields and to press the council to find alternatives that would preserve volunteer fundraising and access.
A longtime resident who spoke during public comment told the council that families and volunteers have built and maintained the fields and that fees would be onerous for households with multiple children. The speaker said the Little League “paid for all that” and pleaded: “Please don’t charge Little League.” (Resident)
Blair Wiltsberg, who identified themself as a parent of two players, said in-kind donations and volunteer labor sustain youth sports and asked the council to preserve those arrangements. “It would just be nice to keep everybody playing and… give back,” Wiltsberg said.
Bill Howard, a volunteer who said he helped install fences and dugouts, told the council the league relies on revenue from the snack shack and donated labor to operate. “If all of a sudden we’re told… now we’re gonna charge you for it, not even consider any kind donation,” Howard said, “you’re gonna lose a lot of volunteer work.”
Council members responded by discussing options short of immediate fees. Several members said an MOU with the Little League would be a sensible path: it could formalize who maintains fields, whether the league may retain snack‑shack revenue, and responsibilities for capital improvements. Council directed staff to draft an MOU and return with a proposal and timeline.
Council also asked staff to review the fee schedule and explore whether administrative waiver authority exists so the league could continue operating under existing terms while an MOU is negotiated. No formal change to the fee schedule was adopted at the meeting.
What happens next: Staff will prepare a draft MOU and present fee‑waiver or drafting options at a future council meeting. The council discussed bringing a draft MOU back for review and possible adoption on a subsequent agenda.
