Public input sought on sports field fees

Youth sports leagues and schools would pay just $25 per season to use most Santa Fe playing fields under the newest iteration of a proposed city ordinance.

Teams also would be required to supply volunteers for an annual cleanup day organized by the city.

In addition, the ordinance, which was reviewed by the city’s Public Works Committee on Monday, would create a fund for voluntary contributions to the city’s sports fields.

The committee postponed taking action, with members saying they want more input from youth league officials and plan to schedule a public hearing.

The city’s annual cost of maintaining and watering its playing fields is more than $2 million a year. Under the proposed ordinance, the city would collect just $525 a year from youth leagues and schools.

The city took in about $8,250 in fees during the past fiscal year – but should have taken in about $26,000, according to a staff fiscal impact report. Youth sports leagues are supposed to be charged $15 per participant if the child is 10 years old or older, and $10 for a child below that threshold.

Officials were vague about why the city isn’t collecting all the money it’s owed.

“We have ordinances on the books and we’re not following them,” Councilor Ron Trujillo complained. He said that because the city hasn’t “abided by our ordinances,” now teams and leagues don’t want to, either. Trujillo and others said the proposed $25 per league fee is too low.

The city’s current fee structure may not take in lots of money either, “but it’s something and it goes back into the parks,” Trujillo said.

The current per-player fee creates a burden, Councilor Chris Rivera said. He suggested the city come up with a fair per-league or per-team figure instead.

The proposed ordinance would maintain the current schedule of fees for teams that use the Municipal Recreation Complex. City staff said the MRC is unique because the city is still paying off debt service for the complex.

A previous iteration of the proposal, which is sponsored by City Councilor Carmichael Dominguez, would have required a $25 permit fee from each youth league, plus a $5 per team fee and volunteer hours for clean-up.

But league officials and others expressed displeasure with some of the proposals at a public hearing held last month by the Parks and Open Space Advisory Commission. Supplying volunteer hours, for one, has been strongly resisted.

The commission approved the ordinance but suggested significant amendments.