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Clubs and parents urge board to revisit facility fees and field access
Summary
Local sports organizations and parents told the board that recent increases in gym and field rental fees and limited field availability threaten youth participation, particularly for girls; speakers requested the board put facility-fee policy and a fields‑partnership plan on the January agenda.
Multiple youth‑sports coaches and parents urged the board to reconsider recent facility‑use fee increases and to address limited field availability in Wilsonville.
"With these higher fees, youth sports programs are forced to raise costs," Katie Ham told the board, and other speakers described specific impacts: Greg Hargrave estimated the fee spike could equal "$350 per player" for softball families, and Preston Vanmeter—the Wilsonville Wildcat fast‑pitch president—said field scarcity has pushed teams onto marginal surfaces and that higher rental fees could reduce revenue rather than increase it.
Speakers asked the district to coordinate with the city to create more fields, to prioritize equitable field scheduling for girls' programs, and to place facility‑fee policy on the January agenda. A representative from the Wilsonville Basketball Association said the association's annual gym costs could more than double under the proposed structure (from roughly $20,000 to over $40,000), risking reduced access for lower‑income families.
Board members thanked speakers and acknowledged competing pressures: facility maintenance costs, budget shortfalls and priorities for competitive athletics and community use. Several speakers offered to work with district staff on reservation policy and joint city‑district field development rather than simply opposing the fee changes.
