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League offers volunteer days; council and staff set guardrails to protect fields
Summary
HYBSA proposed regular volunteer days and in-kind investments to assist with maintenance; council and Parks staff agreed to a pilot with staff-led training and liability terms requiring the league to assume costs for damage from misuse.
Representatives of the Hutto Youth Baseball Softball Association told the council they have "a lot of board members and parents who are willing and able to contribute their time and even some of their own assets," and asked to formalize volunteer days and access to storage and equipment.
Council members welcomed community support but cautioned against overreliance on volunteers and the risk of inconsistent turnout. One council member warned that parent participation can vary year-to-year and "we caution expectations of how much the parents as volunteers can do," urging clear written limits. Staff and council settled on a pilot: allow HYBSA to undertake lower-risk tasks (raking, hand dragging, batter-box upkeep, trash pickup) after training and with monthly staff walkthroughs; specialized tasks requiring heavy equipment or that risk asset damage remain staff-only.
The council and HYBSA discussed cost-sharing offsets: HYBSA suggested reinvesting league funds into field upgrades in exchange for reduced rental costs; council said fee adjustments could be negotiated case-by-case and that deposits or fines could cover misuse. "If you guys are the predominant users... taking ownership to make sure those are staying the way they are," a council member said, underscoring the need for written standards and liability clauses.
