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Baseball academy asks East Aurora for discounted access to town fields
Summary
The New York Stingers, a private baseball academy, asked the board for a reduced or waived fee to use otherwise underused town softball/baseball fields for practices and some games; the board requested a proposed schedule, impact estimates for field maintenance and a plan for cleanup and coordination before deciding on a fee arrangement.
A representative of the New York Stingers asked the East Aurora board to let the academy use town softball and baseball diamonds at a reduced rate or no charge when those fields are otherwise unused. The presenter (Presenter, New York Stingers (S9)) said the business operates an indoor training academy and needs outdoor fields for summer practices and games; the academy has roughly 285–325 players and brought families to town during evening hours.
"We are a business, but we are in our fourth year, and we are not a profitable business," the presenter said, asking the town to consider a discounted rate (the presenter cited a typical fee of $50 per game as unaffordable at scale). The academy proposed using fields on nights when town leagues are not using them, offering to help with minor maintenance tasks such as lining fields, hauling materials and assisting with dragging in exchange for a lower fee.
Board members responded that a schedule and an estimate of wear-and-tear ("diamond dirt") would be necessary before approving a permanent discount. Chair (S4) and Committee member (S1) said the town must consider precedent for private businesses using town fields and the additional resource demands (trash, parking, field maintenance). The board asked staff to get a proposed schedule and consult public-works staff about how frequent private use would affect field maintenance costs.
Ending: The board asked the presenter to provide a detailed schedule of requested field times and said staff would calculate potential maintenance impacts and discuss how to structure fees or in-kind maintenance credits before bringing the item back for a decision.
