STAFF REPORT
City Council Business Item
DATE: February 3, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
FROM: Heather Leigh Stevens, Parks and Recreation Director THROUGH: Amy Nilsen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Adopt City of Fortuna Draft Field Use Policy and Local Non-Profit Youth Based League Rental Fees
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Review, provide feedback, direction and consider adopting the City of Fortuna Draft Field Use Policy and Local Non-Profit Youth Based League Rental Fees.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Fortuna Parks and Recreation Department maintains and manages 12 hardball, softball and soccer athletic fields at both Rohner and Newburg Parks. The fields are rented to the community in accordance with the City’s Field Use Policy and Parks Field Fee Schedule located in the Annual Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025. As part of the Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget process, the City Council directed the Parks and Recreation Director to develop Field Use Memorandums of Understandings (MOUs) with user groups, as well as charge appropriate fees.
Historically, five (5) local non-profit youth based user groups have partnered with the City to provide youth leagues and utilize the fields for seasonal league play. These groups include:
Fortuna Union High School District (FUHSD), Eel River Valley Little League (ERVLL), Eel River Valley Youth Soccer League (ERVYSL), Humboldt American Legion Baseball (AL), and Humboldt Girl’s Fastpitch Softball Association (HSA). Even though the City’s rental rates are among the lowest in Humboldt County, the fees remain out of reach for leagues who utilize the fields on a regular on-going basis for seasonal play. The fees have traditionally been waived for non-profit youth based league user groups.
Over the past year, Parks and Recreation has met and worked with user groups to develop a plan to help ensure user groups’ continued success and address the growing financial demands on the City. The City values partnerships with local non-profit user groups to provide much utilized and beneficial leagues to youth and families in our community. Considering growing demand for field use, Measure P’s failure, aging infrastructure, increased vandalism, general economic downturn and skyrocketing inflation rates Parks and Recreation fees can no longer be waived, as recognized by the City Council during budget development for fiscal year 2024-
25. In order to preserve the safety and maintenance standards for fields and facilities rental fees for users need to be established and upheld.
Developing individualized MOUs as directed by the City Council is not common practice across cities. Cities typically use a field use policy/rental agreement to ensure consistent and equitable treatment for all user groups. Therefore, Parks & Recreation recommends a Field Business Item 5d
Business Item 5d
Use Policy and Fee Schedule with the addition of a Local Non-Profit Youth Based League Rental Fee. The nominal $20 fee per player would be assessed to each League meeting the outlined criteria with priority given to current city partners. The rental fee is based on the total number of Eel River Valley league participants for the league’s season. (Example: 300 league players x $20 fee = $6,000 rental fee). In addition, to fairly assess user fees for local non-profit youth based leagues, the following factors will be considered: facility exchange through Joint Use Agreement and services provided in lieu of rental fees.
FUHSD has an on-going Joint Use Agreement with the City of Fortuna. The City utilizes FUHSD facilities for Adult Basketball League. In exchange, the city provides use of our fields for FUHSD youth athletic programs. It is recommended that the Joint Use Agreement continue to serve in place of rental fees.
ERVLL has a longstanding tradition of partnership with the City of Fortuna. The league upgrades and maintains several fields at Rohner Park. Plans are in the works to partner in refurbishing and upgrading Bartow Field in the near future. Services in lieu of rental fees should continue to be considered.
American Legion, ERVYSL and HSA utilize the fields for seasonal league play but do not, currently, provide significant in lieu services, an exchange of facilities, or pay fees. It is recommended that the Local Non-Profit Youth Based League Rental fee be applied uniformly to these groups.
The 2024-2025 Annual Operating Budget for field operation is $438,042. Actual expenses for July – November 2024 are $170,369.38. The projected annual revenue for the proposed NonProfit Youth Based League Rental Fee revenue is $30,000. This projected revenue is 7.34% of the city’s expenses. The largest field expenses are Parks Personnel and Utilities. The Expense Breakdown Table further outlines Personnel, Water and Electric expenses. These expenses are scheduled to increase in the coming year. Additionally, this cost analysis does not include Parks and Recreation Office Personnel to manage field calendars and scheduling, rental contracts and requirements, transactions and public contact regarding weather and field condition closures.
Business Item 5d
In addition, Parks and Recreation staff have reviewed field rental rates for the cities of Arcata, McKinleyville, and Eureka. Those rates and a comparison of Fortuna’s potential future rate is below.
COMPARABLE Humboldt County Field Rental
Rates 20% Non-Profit Fee Reduction included.
Arcata youth hourly rate $ 34.00
Light Fee hourly rate $ 33.00
McKinleyville youth hourly rate $ 16.00
Eureka youth hourly rate $ 22.00
Light Fee hourly rate $ 40.00
NEW PROPOSED FEE ADDITION
Local Non-Profit Youth Based League Rental
Defined as organizations with legal non-profit status, whose primary function is serving youth 17 years and under, and that have a majority of participants residing within the Fortuna City limits. Fees will be applied to league players residing in the Eel River Valley, inclusive of Hydesville, Carlotta, Loleta, Ferndale, Fortuna, Scotia, Rio Dell, Bridgeville, Petrolia, and Alton.
Deposit Required per Field $ 250.00
Youth Use Fee, per player $ 20.00
Light Box Key (Not Available on all Fields), per
season $ 500.00
Parks Staff Assistance Actual Labor Cost
Improper Fryer Oil Disposal $ 500.00
Following the December 9th Parks and Recreation Commission meeting discussion and a followup Special Meeting on January 6th , the Parks and Recreation Commission voted unanimously to recommend adoption of the Field Use Agreement and Non-Profit Youth Based League Rental Fee Schedule to City Council. There is a strong tradition of shared values, matched efforts, dedication to youth and passion for field play between the Parks and Recreation Department and Non-Profit Youth Based Leagues. It is the intention of the proposed Field Use Policy and Non-Profit Youth Based League Rental Fee addition to honor and build on shared values, as well as, ensure safe well-maintained fields along with enriching programs for our community. The rental rates need to continue to be evaluated annually to ensure that the city is able to meet maintenance and on-going operational needs related to field condition and upkeep.
FISCAL IMPACT:
During the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 fee schedule and budget adoption process the City Council was presented with and approved language related to the removal of exempt events/users from the fee schedule. As part of this change, language was added to the fee schedule that existing user groups that were previously exempt would come before Council for approval of individual user group MOUs. The budget included approximately $55,000 in new revenue specifically related to those MOUs and the deletion of exempt events/users that were previously listed in the fee schedule.
To date no revenue has been recognized. The establishment of these MOUs will bring the City closer to the $55,000 in revenue included in the budget for this fiscal year and future fiscal years.
If the Field Use Policy and Fee Schedule proposed today is not approved, the $55,000 in revenue that was included in the FY 24-25 budget would not be realized and in order to balance the Business Item 5d
Business Item 5d
budget the City may need to pull the $55,000 from reserves in order to pay for the expenses those revenues support.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
1. Receive staff report and review questions with staff
2. Open Public Comment
3. Close Public Comment
4. Motion to adopt Field Use Agreement and Non-Profit Youth Based League Rental Fee Schedule.
ATTACHMENTS:
• Draft Field Use Policy
• Draft Field Use Fee Schedule
• General Fund Parks Maintenance (Annual Operating Budget Fiscal Year 2024-2025)