HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2000 0517 CC REG ITEM 11NTO:
FROM:
DATE:
MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA REPORT
The Honorable City Council
ITEM //. Pl.
CITY Off' ?'f?(DRFARK, CALTFORNTA
City Conncil Meeting
of /7 12 07171
ACTION:
BY:
Ol " - w
Gwen Indermill, Recreation Superintendent
May 10, 2000 (CC Meeting of May 17)
SUBJECT: Consider Request From Moorpark Girl's Softball
Association to Waive Park Rental Fees for Softball
Tournament
SUMMARY
The City Council is being asked to consider a request from the
Moorpark Girl's Softball Association (MGSA) to waive park rental
fees for a girl's softball tournament it plans to host Friday, June
23 through Sunday, June 25, 2000. The fee waiver request includes
use of five ballfields, five sets of softball bases, equipment used
to prepare the fields, field lights, surcharge for large group, and
concession fee. Their letter indicates that they will pay for any
"extra expense to the City ".
DISCUSSION
MGSA is planning to conduct a girl's softball tournament in
conjunction with the American Softball Association (ASA). Teams
from both Moorpark and outside of Moorpark will be invited to
participate in the tournament. MGSA plans to conduct the tournament
using ballfields at Mountain Meadows, Peach Hill and Arroyo Vista
Community Parks between the hours of approximately 7 a.m. and 10
p.m. To limit the inconvenience to neighboring residents, staff
proposes to restrict play at Mountain Meadows Park from 9:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m. Additionally, MGSA will be instructed to place its
youngest age groups at Mountain Meadows Park in an effort to reduce
the likelihood that foul balls will stray onto adjacent residential
property. This is similar to the restriction placed on the Kiwanis
for its tournament last November. As has been the case in the past,
MGSA plans to perform all field preparations using both their own
and City equipment.
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MGSA indicates that this softball tournament serves as its major
fundraising event. Revenue from this tournament will be earmarked
to purchase equipment, replace old equipment, and start a building
fund for a fourth softball field at Arroyo Vista Community Park.
This will be the tournament's second year. When MGSA approached
City staff last year, it was staff's initial understanding that the
tournament was MGSA's spring season play -offs. Because it was
assumed that the tournament was a part of their regular season and
addressed under the Use Agreement, which allows MGSA to use
assigned softball fields at a cost of $1.00 per year, no rental fee
was charged.
When it became clear that the tournament was not, in fact,
associated with MGSA's regular season, that it involved a number of
non - resident teams, and that a fee was charged for participating
teams, City staff notified MGSA that any such future tournaments
were not covered under the Use Agreement. Therefore, if MGSA chose
to host a similar tournament it would need to pay for the use of
the City's parks.
Last year's tournament attracted a large number of players and
their families. No arrangements were made for additional staff to
manage the impact of the large park activity. As a result, City
staff received a number of after -hours telephone calls over the
weekend the tournament was held from MGSA members requesting
assistance, and phone calls from residents neighboring Mountain
Meadows Park several days following the tournament complaining
about the negative impact of the tournament.
Based on the City's existing tournament fee, not the tournament fee
package under consideration by the City Council at the May 17, 2000
meeting, the cost to MGSA for the use of City parks would be
$3,521.00. If the proposed tournament fee package is approved by
the Council, the cost to MGSA will be approximately $1,800.00,
depending on the number of hours, additional park amenities, and
amount of staff time required.
The City Council has waived park rental fees for Kiwanis softball
tournaments in the past. However, Moorpark AYSO has held similar
tournaments over the past three or four years, as its major
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Park Fee Waiver
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fundraising event, and has paid the full cost of the activity as
identified in the City's park rental fee schedule. AYSO's most
recent tournament was held in April and they paid $3,456.00 to the
City. Their fee included one staff person assigned to monitor park
activities and to service the restrooms and trash cans.
If the City Council elects to grant MGSA's fee waiver request,
staff recommends that they be directed to pay for any direct costs
that would be incurred by the City, including but not limited to,
staff time and field lights, and a refundable security deposit to
protect against any possible property damage. Because of the
anticipated number of people participating in MGSA's tournament and
the number of parks involved, one park maintenance staff person, at
a cost of $18.00 per hour, needs to be assigned to monitor the
activity and respond to service requests.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Approve Moorpark Girls Softball's waiver request contingent on it's
payment of all direct costs to the City, including staff time
during the tournament, and a refundable security deposit.
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