PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES

 

FEBRUARY 21, 2006

 

 

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Jones at 7:00 p.m.

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:  Russ Jones, Deborah Groat, Cathy Dwertman, John Marshall, Mary Catherine Rodenberger, Rowland Seymour      Absent:  John Howard

 

OTHERS PRESENT:  Steve Conley, Clerk Patterson

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:  There being no additions or corrections, the minutes for the meeting of December 20, 2005 were approved as distributed.

 

REPORT OF DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION:  No report.

 

REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PARKS & RECREATION:  Mr. Conley reported that he is going to meet with Phil Roush and the Adena Pointe developers on Thursday.   They will present some plans for the proposed detention pond.

 

The ice rink at Eljer Park was vandalized over the weekend.

 

The skatepark equipment has been delivered and will be installed, weather permitting, the week of March 6^th.  Also, the latex will be fixed as soon as there is warmer weather. 

 

The pool restrooms are being redone in addition to the expansion of the concession stand, along with a walk-in freezer.  These renovations are being done with $60,000 that was given to the City by Paris Township.  At some point, the five-year capital plan should be reviewed because the renovations to the storage building and concession area were included in the plan. 

 

COMMISSIONER’S REPORT ON INDIVIDUAL PARKS:

 

Schwartzkopf and Millcreek Parks -  Mr. Seymour reported a lot of dead wood laying around the park.  He asked if it would be picked up at some point.  Mr. Conley stated if the wood is laying around the park and is a hindrance, it will be picked up.  Wood laying around in the woods will not be picked up.

 

The rest of the parks in the City are okay.

 

CITIZENS’ COMMENTS NON-AGENDA ITEMS:  None

 

OLD BUSINESS:

 

q       Ball Park User Fees

 

Mr. Marshall explained that legislation is in front of Council to implement user fees.  At the last Council meeting, representatives from organizations spoke against the user fees.  Council recommended sending the issue back to Parks & Recreation for further discussion.

 

Mr. Tim Messer, MJBSA President, addressed the Commission.  He wanted to know why the City was proposing the fee.  The reason he heard was because County Home Road was doing it.  He gave some stats.  There are approximately 500 kids who play baseball in the City, 40 teams.  Each team will play 14 games, total 560 games at $5.00, which means $2,800.00.  Up until three years ago, the City made donations to MJBSA.  They no longer do that.  The City now wants MJBSA to make a donation to the City.  For the most part, the fields are maintained by the organizations.   They line, paint and rake the fields.  Mr. Messer asked what the fee would cover.  Mr. Conley stated it would be used for daily dragging during the week, grass cutting (both weather permitting) and a reserved field.  It will also include an irrigated playing field. 

 

Mr. Messer asked if a field is reserved, does it mean that someone from the City will be there to police who’s on the field.  What if someone is on the field that didn’t reserve it? 

 

He does not feel comparing City parks to County Home Road is comparing apples to apples.  County Home Road does all maintenance, which is included in their user fee.  If the City would provide all material and maintenance, the fee would be justified. 

 

In 2005, MJBSA and Mits donated $8,047.56 to the City and the High School.  $4,747 went to dugouts at Eljer Park, which were built by Mr. Messer, Mr. McIntyre and Mr. Hites. 

 

If the fee is passed, feels City should look at making it effective in 2007 because registration is planned for the prior year.  Also, stated taxpayers already pay this fee. 

 

Mr. Jones stated Mr. Messer made some good points and agreed with what Mr. Messer said about the budget.  He asked how Mr. Conley reserves and polices the fields. 

Mr. Conley noted that schedules of who reserved the fields are posted on structures by the concession stand, but also noted that kids constantly tear them down.

 

Mr. Tim Hites spoke on behalf of the Optimist Football League and Elite Soccer team.  The impact on those organizations is approximately $2,000 each.  He noted City is not providing any additional services for this fee.    He is opposed to the fee.  The amount of money this fee would generate, $6,000/$7,000, wouldn’t do much for the City parks.  He commented the City was throwing around $55M, then they want to charge the kids to use the fields.  It doesn’t make sense.  He requested Parks & Recreation consider not recommending this.

 

Mr. Seymour stated he was of the understanding that these fees were for non-residents.  He stated the average family pays about $1,800 per year in taxes to the schools.  Parents are going to be paying this fee, not the kids.  He’s not sure imposing this fee is the right thing to do.

 

Mr. Marshall noted that $1,800 doesn’t mean anything to the Parks, it goes to the schools; it’s not in the City’s budget.   He also clarified the $55M is the first installment for the wastewater treatment facility so that everyone can continue to flush their toilets without problems.  That $55M is being financed through an Enterprise Fund which is a separate part of the City budget that has to support itself. 

 

Mr. Marshall asked if there is a fee to play at County Home Road above and beyond the field rental fee.  Response was no.  Mr. Marshall asked what the current registration fees were for baseball.  Fees are $250 for the Elite Soccer Team for spring and another $250 for fall.  Football fees are $125/year; $85 for Optimist.  Travel baseball is between $300 and $400 per player.  Junior baseball and tee ball is $25, ages 4 thru 6, $45 for ages 6 thru 8, $55 for ages 10-15, Junior Acme is $65.  Softball, age 8 is $45, 10 & up is $55.  There is a family maximum of $125. 

 

Ms. Groat asked what percentage of players are Marysville residents as opposed to non-city residents?  Mr. Hite said almost 100%.  Mr. Messer stated last year there were 6 kids out of 496, two from Ostrander and the other four were from Raymond. 

 

Organizations provide all the equipment for the teams.  Local businesses help by donating to the organizations. 

 

Mr. Hites noted the City was concerned because people would reserve the field then not show up.  Also heard that City was having to pay an employee to work the concession stand when no one would show up to play.  He said the concession stand was never open for his games.    He has no problem with the City wanting to charge outside organizations to use the fields.  Mr. Conley stated no adult leagues use the fields.

 

There are eight City fields.  City provides the following maintenance; drag the fields, cut the grass 2 times a week (weather permitting).  Through the Scotts abatement, all the athletic fields are on the maintenance program; keep decent bases on all the fields. 

 

Mr. Conley feels the City needs to come up with a way to penalize a team for not showing up for a game.

 

Mr. Tim Aslaner, citizen and parent, would like to see the City forego this fee if they can afford to at all.  As the City Attorney, he offered to work with Mr. Conley to work out a policy to charge for people who reserve a field and don’t use it.  

 

Mr. Jones commented that the teams get charged if they don’t show up to play at County Home Road.

 

Mr. Conley said last year there were two soccer games and two Mits game that were scheduled and not played. 

 

Mr. Marc Kirsh addressed the Commission.  He does not understand the difference between the baseball and soccer fee.  Fees have already been paid and these additional fees create a real financial issue.  Soccer brings in a lot of kids and parents to Marysville, which means additional revenue for Marysville.

 

Mr. Marshall stated the options he could take back to Council.  1)  Move to postpone indefinitely, which would kill the legislation; 2) amend to have fees go into effect at a later date or 3) refer to Finance Committee for further review.

 

Mr. Conley pointed out that a fee of $40 for tournament play currently exists. 

 

Ms. Dwertman stated she was having second thoughts because she did not realize the organizations paid for all their equipment. 

 

Mr. Marshall felt there needs to be an accountability factor.  There needs to be a policy established stating that you have a certain time frame in which to notify the City when you will not be using the field.  He noted the organizations have a penalty in place that they have to pay the officials if they show up at a game and there is no game.  Feels the City needs to put a penalty in place. 

 

After much discussion, it was determined that no-shows were not a real problem.  Out of 500 games, only three or four games were no-shows.

 

Mr. Marshall proposed going back to Council and recommend postponing the legislation indefinitely.  He reminded the sports organizations that Parks & Recreation Commission meets every third Tuesday of the month.  He encouraged the organizations to attend once in a while to report on what’s going on. 

 

Ms. Groat commented personally that the Parks and Rec Commission, the City Council, anyone who would be discussing this issue is certainly not against organized sports.  However, she felt that the fields and the structure of the Marysville field situation need to be considered as organizational versus individual usage.  Consider the percent of the community as individuals versus the percent of the people using the fields as an organizational structure.  She also felt that any policy discussed or decision made has to satisfy the second condition, that there are intangible costs to any organizational usage of city facilities, such as parking accessibility, facility usage in terms of restrooms and intangible costs that accrue from these kinds of usages.   “I just personally would like us, as a Parks & Rec Commission, City Council , people who would read this in the newspaper, this is not anti-organizational sports; it is a consideration for how to best use the parks so that every person in Marysville has relatively equal usage and that it not turn into the personal venue of any one group and have the feeling of proprietorship of the fields that in fact belong to the whole city.”

 

Mr. Seymour moved to adopt Option A, to postpone the legislation indefinitely, seconded by Ms. Dwertman and the question put, stood:

 

Mr. Jones  YES  Ms.  Groat  NO   Ms. Dwertman  YES  Mr. Marshall  YES  Ms. Rodenberger  YES   Mr. Seymour  YES

 

Motion passed.

 

Mr. Conley asked all organizations to provide him a membership list.  Also requested a list of coaches that are paid in order to be sure it’s reported to the City Income Tax Dept. 

 

NEW BUSINESS:  None

 

COMMENTS OF CITIZENS – AGENDA ITEMS:  Mr. Hites thanked everyone for taking the time to listen. 

 

COMMENTS OF INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS:  Mr. Seymour asked the status of the skatepark.  Mr. Conley stated installation is scheduled for the week of March 6^th. 

 

Mr. Marshall reiterated that he would be taking the recommendation back to Council on Thursday to postpone the legislation indefinitely.

 

ADJOURNMENT:  There being no further business to come before Parks & Recreation, the meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m