TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Mark Leyman, Parks and Recreation Director
Jessica Vincent, Recreation Services Manager
Archie Sherman, Recreation Supervisor
SUBJECT:Title
Updated Field Use and Allocation Policy and Field Use Fees (Parks and Recreation Director Leyman).
APPROVE
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the updated Field Use and Allocation Policy and approve the Field Use Fees.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Staff estimates the updated fees for field use will result in approximately $100,000 per year in additional revenue, once fees are fully implemented. Staff recommends a phase-in implementation beginning January 1, 2019, with full implementation January 1, 2020. Staff will review the fees on an annual basis and consider increasing fees periodically based on market rates and inflation.
BACKGROUND:
At the City Council Budget Study Session on May 4, 2017, City Council directed staff to conduct a comprehensive field fee study. The current fee structures for facility, parks and field fees were last updated July 1, 2008. Over the past ten years, market rates and maintenance costs have risen. However, the fees charged by the City have remained unchanged. Shortly after the meeting, an Ad-Hoc Committee comprised of three members of the Parks & Recreation Commission was formed.
The Ad hoc committee and City staff met 15 times to develop the Field Use and Allocation Policy and pricing schedule. The primary objectives of the Field Use and Allocation Policy are to:
• Ensure City residents have priority and access to City facilities
• Provide seasonal priority to sports as defined by each youth sport organization
• Develop field allocations based on priority and availability
• Clearly define classifications
• Set strict deadlines for field requests and relinquishing fields
• Develop an appeal process
• Set an hourly rate for field reservations based on desirability of the field
• Ensure efficient utilization of field
Historically, user groups have been divided into two categories: 1) Recreation Based Groups - which include Manhattan Beach Little League, Beach Softball, American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) and Pony Baseball; and 2) Club Groups - including Sand & Surf Soccer Club, Beach Cities Sports Flag Football, South Bay Lacrosse Club and Trident Lacrosse Club. Recreation-based groups currently pay $15 per player each season, while club groups pay $100 per hour for artificial turf fields and $25 per hour for all other fields.
Initially, the Parks & Recreation Ad-Hoc Committee developed field fees for “market rate” or standard rate for commercial use. This took into account size of the field, playability, lights, and field type. Youth Sports Organizations (YSO) utilize approximately 80% of available field space on an annual basis. For YSOs, the Ad-Hoc Committee recommended fees with a discounted rate for residents, and developed a formula to further discount the “market rate.” The greatest discount an organization could receive was 95% from the standard use fee or “market rate.” Additionally, the Ad-Hoc Committee proposed a $10 per-player fee for non-resident players to encourage YSOs to increase resident youth participation. The YSOs providing the most opportunity for youth would receive the greatest discount.
Staff presented the Parks & Recreation Commission recommendations for City Council consideration on May 15, 2018. City Council then directed staff to return to the Parks & Recreation Commission with alternatives for field use fees, allocation procedures, and definition of residency based on a consensus from a Sports Committee comprised of regular youth sport user groups.
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the updated Field Use and Allocation Policy and approve the Field Use Fees.
DISCUSSION:
During the City Council meeting on May 15, 2018, City Council directed staff to form a Sports Committee to:
• Ensure the policy is realistic and as equitable as possible
• Review alternative fee options
• Reconsider the 60% residency requirements and assess the feasibility of an increase using information from neighboring cities and current organizations
• Present findings to the Parks & Recreation Commission, then to the City Council
A Sports Committee was formed and began meeting in January, 2018. The Committee was comprised of up to two board members from each of the 2018 approved YSOs, including, Manhattan Beach Little League, Beach Softball, American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) Pony Baseball, Sand & Surf Soccer Club, Beach Cities Sports Flag Football (BCS), South Bay Lacrosse Club (SBLC) and Trident Lacrosse Club.
The Sports Committee recommends the following changes to the policy and fee structure:
• Change the definition of residents to include participants residing in Hermosa Beach and students attending school in Manhattan Beach
• Change the field allocation procedures to increase optimal time for Diamond Field Groups (i.e. Baseball and Softball) to three weekday hours and two weekend hours per team during each season
• Delete the draft and pro-rata field allocation procedure unless deemed necessary by an appeal made to the Parks & Recreation Commission
• Update fees to a per player fee per season for all YSOs with additional $10 fee assessed to non-resident participants. Based on the classifications per the policy, the per player model is as follows:
2019
• Recreation based groups (Classification A) - $20 per player
• Semi-Recreation based groups (Classification B & C) - $25 per player
• Club groups (Classification D) - $80 per player
2020
• Recreation based groups (Classification A) - $25 per player
• Semi-Recreation based groups (Classification B & C) - $30 per player
• Club groups (Classification D) - $100 per player
• In addition, the Sports Committee proposed amending the Manhattan Village Field Agreements with AYSO, Sand & Surf Soccer Club, BCS, SBLC and Trident Lacrosse Club to remove the hourly rates for field use (to avoid being billed twice for the same use). If approved, the City will recover the hourly fees in the per player fee.
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the updated Field Use and Allocation Policy and approve the Field Use Fees.
PUBLIC OUTREACH/INTEREST:
YSOs were provided the updated, proposed Field Use and Allocation Policy and proposed field fees in February 2018. They were also invited to comment at the March 26, 2018, and April 30, 2018, Parks and Recreation Commission meetings. The item was also discussed during the City Council Meeting on May 15, 2018. Staff formed a Sports Committee and met with the group three times to review potential changes to the policy and fees. The policy was brought back to the Parks & Recreation Commission on September 17, 2018, and approved by the Commission on November 26, 2018.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
Attachments:
1. Field Use & Allocation Policy
2. Proposed Field Fees