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Council weighs separating athletic-field costs and reconsidering rental fees
Summary
Staff proposed tracking parks, athletic fields and open-space costs separately and suggested potentially making athletic fields an enterprise fund; council discussed raising rental fees incrementally and community demand for pickleball and tournaments.
Staff proposed keeping parks, athletic fields and open spaces under one department while itemizing expenses for each function so the city can better measure costs associated with athletic fields and maintenance.
The presenter said separating line items will make it easier to understand the cost of prepping and maintaining fields and suggested the city consider whether athletic fields should be run as an enterprise fund. "In a sense, we're not renting the fields. It's the work that goes into prepping that field," the presenter said, emphasizing personnel and equipment needs that are not captured by simple rental fees.
Council discussed current weekend rental fees (~$200) and compared them to larger cities where minimums can be much higher; members favored a gradual approach to fee increases to ensure community access while recovering more of the maintenance costs.
