HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-05-18 PACKET 12.A.fi holl
REQUEST OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION COUNCIL AGENDA
MEETING ITEM # Adn
DATE s
PREPARED BY Public Works Les Burshten
ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT HEAD
COUNCIL ACTION REQUEST
Workshop: Facility Use Policy and Community /School Based Youth Athletic Programming.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
® MEMO /LETTER: Memo from Zac Dockter.
❑ RESOLUTION:
❑ ORDINANCE:
❑ ENGINEERING RECOMMENDATION:
❑ LEGAL RECOMMENDATION:
❑ OTHER: Attachments.
ADMINISTRATORS COMMENTS
City Administrator Date
COUNCIL ACTION TAKEN: ❑ APPROVED ❑ DENIED ❑ OTHER
DocumenQ
City of
Cotta Grove
Minnesota
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council
From: Zac Dockter, Parks and Recreation Manager
Date: 4/27/11
Subject: Facility Use Policy and Community /School Based Youth Athletic Programming
Introduction
In 2009, the city council adopted a facility use policy that anticipated the formulation of an East
Ridge Athletic Association (ERAA) to be comprised of both Cottage Grove and Woodbury
residents. The revised facility use policy took into consideration the understanding that some
percentage of ERAA members would be Cottage Grove residents and as such should have
some level of opportunity in scheduling city facilities to meet their needs. A nearly identical
facility use policy was adopted by the city of Woodbury at the same time to assure policies
were equitable across city lines. Since that time, there has been a myriad of issues that
warrant another review of the policies of each city.
Background
Prior to the opening of the East Ridge High School, the Cottage Grove and Woodbury Athletic
Associations as well as the South Washington County School District developed a 12 person
task force to study potential impacts of a third athletic association within the two communities.
The commission was mediated by an independent former athletic director to assure biases
were kept to a minimum. The task force recommendation was for continuation of community
based youth athletic programming. The alternative of school based recreational programming
was not recommended for the in -house recreational levels but it was understood that some
traveling programs may be necessary for fulfillment of high school sports needs (i.e. "feeder
program "). However, the task force recommendation had no formal action plan to assure the
recommendation was adhered to amongst the communities. It should also be noted that many
from the ERAA organization believe that if the study were held today there may be a different
recommendation based on the opportunities that ERAA has now presented to both
communities.
Shortly after the opening of East Ridge High School, a group of parents formed the East Ridge
Athletic Association by forming teams for football and basketball programs. Soon thereafter,
softball, baseball, soccer, volleyball and track and field were added. Most programs of which
are also offered by CGAA and WAX
Having been able to get advanced notice of the development of ERAA, both the cities of
Woodbury and Cottage Grove quickly developed the aforementioned facility use policies to
address the situation and received council approval. With said facility use policy in place, the
city of Cottage Grove has been able to satisfy the needs of both CGAA and ERAA with relative
ease based on their level of citizenship in each group. However, the city of Woodbury and the
SWC School District have not been so fortunate and are finding the process extremely difficult
to manage. The difference in conflict levels is likely due to the fact that a very small
percentage of ERAA members are residents of Cottage Grove whereas the majority of ERAA
members currently reside in Woodbury.
Even though population and housing levels have remained fairly level since the inception of
ERAA, facility use requests have increased dramatically for the city of Woodbury. This is
contrary to the belief that field and court opportunities should be plentiful with the addition of
many new facilities inherited via the East Ridge High School and Bielenberg Sports Center
expansion projects. The city of Woodbury has multiple concerns /questions that do not seem to
have an easy answer. Those are:
1. Why does it appear there are not enough facilities available for youth programs when
community population levels have been stable yet number of facilities have increased?
2. Are in -house recreational programs getting equal opportunity /access to number and
quality of facilities?
3. Are in -house recreational programs getting the attention they need to foster growth and
opportunity for families to participate?
4. Are the associations focusing first on traveling programs and school based "feeder"
programs for scheduling needs?
5. The community appears split along school lines. There is arguing and resentment
between the two groups. Is this school -based recreational programming concept
splitting community spirit?
6. Is it truly appropriate to split the community at very young age levels based on
"potential" future high school attendance or is it more appropriate to be represented by
the community until children are of age where high school choice may be a factor in
participation?
The above concerns are minimal for Cottage Grove in its current state. However, it is an issue
that will continue to grow and fester as the majority of the East Ravine housing development
will be in the East Ridge school boundary. This means that each year a larger percentage of
city facilities will need to be dedicated to this group.
ERAA is an established organization and that must be respected. It is not recommended that
the either city discuss the elimination of this organization. However, there appears to be
agreement between both cities of Woodbury and Cottage Grove that revising the facility use
policy may provide opportunity to resolve all or most of the aforementioned concerns.
A simple revision to the facility use policy whereas to acknowledge just one community based
in -house programming organization for Priority Level III (Recognized Community Youth
Organizations) seems to provide a starting point for discussion. Should this revision take
place, an application process would likely be needed to assure the group chosen for this
priority level by the city meets the designed criteria of the policy. Such criteria would be:
1. Group must actively attempt to serve all community residents.
2. Group must provide a variety of programming options.
3. Group must show ability to manage the operations effectively and efficiently to be able
to maximize participation at minimal cost to residents.
It's not anticipated this policy change would affect traveling teams /clubs and as such would not
eliminate any of the organizations that exist today. However, acknowledging one community
based in -house program operator at Priority Level III resolves previously discussed concerns
by doing the following:
1. Having one association manage the in -house program provides that group the ability to
manage teams and leagues more effectively to fit within any limitations of the facility
provisions. It's believed one larger association has more flexibility in sizing of teams to
better utilize facilities as opposed to two smaller associations. Focusing on community
based in -house programming also assures youth are developing at the skill level they
belong which proves to build confidence, fun and ultimately retainment of player levels.
2. Community based field usage management assures all residents get equal opportunity
for use of all city and school facilities within the community they reside regardless of
location of the facilities within the school zones. Currently most fields are scheduled to
associations based on location first to ease travel commitments of families. For
example, currently CGAA primarily gets priority use of fields located within the Park
High School boundary whereas ERAA gets priority use of fields located within the East
Ridge High School boundary area. This leads to resentment between groups who
believe that their association does not get equal access to superior facilities within the
community.
3. Offering community based programs builds community pride not through where children
go to school, but by where they live. Most children begin sports at the age of five. It's
likely there will be many variables that may impact where that child ends up going to
high school. As such, understanding which organization to register with for in -house
youth sports seems confusing to many residents. As an example, a child with intent on
attending private school may be confused on where to register being they have no
public high school affiliation. A more appealing process is considered playing for the
community you reside until one makes a decision on school choice.
4. Reduces the fragmentation of community based on school boundaries. Cottage Grove
and Woodbury both take great pride in building strong communities and neighborhoods.
Anything that negatively impacts that sense of community should be carefully reviewed.
Although physically changing the facility use policy is an easy process, there are both political
and legal ramifications that must be considered. With that understanding, legal counsel was
addressed by both cities of Cottage Grove and Woodbury to further understand the ability to
limit priority levels to one organization of the community within the facility use policies.
Generally, both legal consultants agreed that the city has the right to manage its facilities using
a priority based system. Further, the city has the right to only acknowledge one community
based organization to offer programming at a given priority level. It is suggested that there be
a periodic and public application process with set criteria for application and all organizations
meeting such criteria are invited to apply. The decision on the applicant must be based solely
on the ability of the organization to meet the specified criteria. Applicants not chosen for that
aspired priority level must continue to be provided the opportunity to secure facilities at a lower
priority level.
Political ramification may be as concerning as the legal. Action on the policy change has the
potential to greatly reduce or even eliminate participants and /or funds from one of the three
current athletic associations. This could create further turmoil and split amongst the
community in the short term. However the long term solution to the problems presented
should be the goal regardless of short term turmoil.
Staff is seeking direction from the council on amendment to the current facility use policy.
Should council direct staff to devise a facility use policy that provides for one recognized
community -based organization to operate within priority level III, staff will work with the Parks,
Recreation and Natural Resources Commission as well as the city of Woodbury and
Community Education to assure the process and implementation of such a change would be
done so in a manner that truly intends to benefit both communities.
Staff Recommendation
Provide direction to staff on facility use policy.
Enclosed Documents:
1. Cottage Grove Facility Use Policy (current)
2. City of Woodbury's recommended Facility Use Policy revisions
Cotta e Grove
Recreational acility Use Policy
PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for the priority use of outdoor athletic facilities in
the City of Cottage Grove and /or those being allocated by the City of Cottage Grove.
It is the intent of this policy to grant priority use for organizations and groups that may desire the use of
specific facilities for a specific period of time. The priority system is a listing from highest to lowest in
terms of reserving specific times and facilities by organizations or groups. Each priority lists the
following:
i Requirements of the organization or group.
o Uses that may require fees.
The City of Cottage Grove reserves the right to determine if an outdoor athletic facility shall be
considered "a scheduled facility" or not. In other words, the City may decide that it is in the public's
best interest to periodically not schedule specific outdoor athletic fields. Examples would include the
need to rest a field for maintenance or safety purposes, or make specific outdoor athletic facilities
available to the public at large. These policies do not apply to the ice arena, municipal pool or River
Oaks golf course.
PRIORITIES
Priority I: City of Cottage Grove Programs
Activities directly organized as part of the City's Parks and Recreation Department or directly sponsored
by the City as a cooperative program. (Examples: City offered adult programs, summer playground
programs, special events open to the entire community)
Use - Use will be based on the needs of the program. Needs will be established annually and
communicated prior to spring field - scheduling meetings each season.
Fees — Class 1 fee structure (see reservation forms for detailed fees).
Priority II: Public and Private Schools
Schools must be located within the City of Cottage Grove and there must be an agreement in place that
provides the City with the reciprocal use of the school's athletic facilities. If no agreement is in place,
priority shall be placed in Priority IV.
Use - Use will be limited to weekday activities and concluding prior to or at 3:30 p.m. The types of uses
allowed will be for organized school programs and physical education classes, provided there is no
disruption to the City's normal maintenance of the facilities. Limited use will be allowed for later
weekday hours and tournaments provided there are no scheduling conflicts with Priority I or Priority III
groups (fees shall be assessed for this limited use).
Fees — Class 2 or 3 based on event type (see reservation forms for detailed fees).
Priority III: Recognized Community Youth Organizations
Youth organizations (18 and under) that are members of one of the following independently
incorporated youth athletic associations that are currently recognized by the City of Cottage Grove. The
two currently recognized organizations in Cottage Grove are the Cottage Grove Athletic Association
(CGAA) and the East Ridge Athletic Association (ERAA). The recognized organizations must meet the
following requirements on an annual basis.
All of the above recognized organizations must meet the following requirements annually to remain
within this priority category.
• Must be a Cottage Grove and/or Woodbury based, non - profit, 5010 organization as defined by
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Proof of 501c3 status (letter from IRS) will be required by
the City of Cottage Grove along with annual certification of status by an office of the
organization.
Participation shall be ninety percent (90 %) Cottage Grove residents or attending school within
School District 833. A listing of organizational members must be submitted by sport to the City
of Cottage Grove with names, addresses to prove residency requirements prior to the scheduling
meeting. Facilities will be allocated based upon the # of Cottage Grove residents within a
particular sport requesting outdoor athletic facilities.
A copy of the current board of directors, contacts shall be submitted to the City of Cottage
Grove.
The organizations board of directors must consistently maintain the ability to provide items A —
F below and sign off on a form letter provided by the City of Cottage Grove.
A. A copy of the current bylaws polices and procedures, which govern the operations, shall
be made available to the City of Cottage Grove or any resident of the community upon
request.
B. The association may not discriminate based on race, ethnic background, or religion, or
ability, however, may make team assignments based on ability. There will be a policy in
place describing the formation of teams.
C. The organization shall have a coach's certification training program in place for head
coaches of all sports and it shall address sportsmanship values, safety and liability.
D. All board meetings are open to the public. The election of the governing body shall be a
process, which is open to all members as defined by the bylaws of the organization.
E. The organization shall have a policy in place for dealing with members that have special
economic, physical and/or social needs.
The organization shall have liability insurance in place in an amount equal to the statutory
maximum liability of a government unit with the State of Minnesota as set forth in state law
naming the City of Cottage Grove as an additional insured. A copy of this insurance must be
submitted to the City of Cottage Grove Parks & Recreation Department at the time of field
reservation. The current statutory limits are 51,000,000 for each occurrence.
The organization agrees to indemnify and defend it from any claims brought or actions filed
against the City for injury or death to any third person or persons, or damage to property of
third person, arising out of the negligent acts of the agents, employees, and representatives of
either party as they relates to the shared use of the fields and facilities that are reserved under
this policy. The intent of the indemnification requirement of this Article is to impose upon
the party against whom a claim is being brought, subject to the City's limits of liability under
Minnesota Statutes Chapter 466.
As an act of good faith and for the Health & Well being of all participants the City of Cottage Grove
recommends that that all associations do background checks on coaches, volunteers and board members.
Use — Fields will be allocated based upon the number of City of Cottage Grove residents (participants
residing within the City of Cottage Grove) in the sport requesting outdoor athletic facilities and shall not
interfere with Priority I and lI use. The City will hold a sport specific field allocation meeting in which
fields will be allocated to those within the Priority III category.
Fees — Class 2 or 3 based on event type (see reservation forms for detailed fees).
Priority IV: Cottage Grove Resident Groups
Youth or Adult Cottage Grove based organizations, businesses, team or residents not meeting
requirements of priority III.
Use - Use shall be limited to availability of athletic facilities and shall not interfere with Priorities I -III.
Requests will be filled after completion of field allocation of Priority I -III requests.
Fees — Class 4 based on event type.
Priority V: Non-Resident Groups
Youth or Adult Non - Cottage Grove based organizations, schools, businesses, teams.
Use - Use shall be limited to availability of athletic facilities and shall not interfere with Priorities I - IV
use. Requests will be filled after completion of field allocation of Priority I -IV requests.
Fees — Class 5 based on event type, dates and times.
PROCEDURES:
e The Parks and Recreation Department makes determination of priority and class levels based on
aforementioned criteria.
s The City will only authorize reservations and changes throughout the reservation period with one
field coordinator per sport.
♦ If organizations or groups are at the same priority level, then the organization or group that serves
the highest number of Cottage Grove residents will receive the higher number of fields during field
allocation meeting.
♦ Any organization or group, which fails to provide for and follow the guidelines, set forth above, or
provides false information is subject to revocation of its athletic facility use reservation at the
discretion of the Parks and Recreation Department.
s No organization or group will be allowed to sublease athletic facilities.
RAIN OUT PROCEDURES:
In the event of inclement weather or saturated ground *, fields will be closed to ensure the safety of
participants and to prevent turf damage. Inclement weather includes:
a. Thunderstorms (thunder, lightening and /or hail)
b. Heavy rain stores and /or saturated ground*
c. Heavy frost or snow cover
d. Extreme Temperatures
e. Any weather condition that maybe dangerous to participants or damage fields.
*Saturated ground refers to standing water on a field or conditions when the ground is so wet that use of
the field will damage the turf.
The decision to close outdoor athletic facilities will be made by City of Cottage Grove Parks and
Recreation Department staff. The decision to close outdoor athletic facilities will be made as follows:
a. When outdoor athletic facilities are closed the Parks & Recreation Department will send an
e -mail to the Field Scheduling Coordinators identified at the beginning of the season by the
sport directors. It is the sport's Field Scheduling Coordinators responsibility to contact all
coaches involved with cancellation information.
b. Weekdays: When possible, the decision to close outdoor athletic facilities will be made by
3:00 p.m. If inclement weather conditions develop after the office closes, the umpire /referee
or the park maintenance staff on duty will make the decision to close fields.
c. City of Cottage Grove and District 833 personnel reserve the right to close outdoor athletic
facilities under special circumstances.
d. If fees have been assessed; credits will be issued if fields are closed by the City of Cottage
Grove. Fees will not be refunded if sport coaches cancel a practice without the fields being
closed due to weather or field conditions.
Scheduling Coordinators and their athletic associations will be held financially responsible for any turf
damage caused by the use of fields /facilities during inclement weather, by the use of fields with
saturated ground or by the use of fields in a negligent or inappropriate manner at any time. (i.e. hitting
balls into fences (soft toss), batting practice when not using mound or home plate). Damaged fields may
be closed for extended periods to allow for turf repair and restoration.
Adopted: 12 -9 -09 Number: CD- PKI2FC -7.3
�®r® a Revised: 01 -12 -11
•* �`® DRAFT 2612
crrrcF �I 4�
Mayor: City Administrator:
COUNCIL. DIRECTIVE I For: All Users of outdoor athletic facilities in the
City of Woodbury
Subject: Outdoor Athletic Facility Use Policy
PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to prioritize scheduled access use of the parks and school facilities in the
Citv of Woodbury. This document cut lines both mandatory and suggested establish - guidelines for youth
athletic associations to ensure that program ohterings are mrndl'ul of the public's health, safety and
welfare and are fair and equ table to all residents. the p-ief ye use efeutdoof athletie f ei -1 °.:.. 1-1
City of Aloodbu y an these beiiig -a leea ed by the Cit of Weedbut-y. Currently, all outdoor athletic
facilities within the City of Woodbury are being allocated by the Parks and Recreation Department
except for the Varsity Baseball Fields and Football stadiums located at Woodbury High School and East
Ridge High School.
It is the City of Woodbur >''s t.cva that The public is Iles, sere cd ,c hen these ;s on;" one Recreational 0n-
houwe) offering per sport. Pic ('ity ;iffy oodbui y does trough undcrs and that at the Conz,rvt Live.
araGell,inet level, a ch }._c farprotUiu'ns is in tent at' this p ' ^ a g -, use
a nd tfEntps that Fn a y . 1,,,� c "e factieS +i,. � a f t- i+m�e- The
r:;�o> =,peril. - fora- slT��n
priority system is a listing from highest to lowest in terms of reserving specific times and facilities by
organizations or groups. The C'its of yy oodbul- rj ill eswblish 'ruiddines that must be nrct ill order io be
considered for Priorw, axlo,:nnon, All other rcquests will I taken in ciat. oni r. I I as E'rior 1V
or 1' statas. and uxrl f reed �p ice i1 ti. ,i?al�ie.
The City of Woodbury reserves the right to determine if an outdoor athletic facility shall be considered
"a scheduled facility" or not. In other words, the City may decide that it is in the public's best interest to
periodically not schedule specific outdoor athletic fields. Examples would include the need to rest a
field for maintenance or safety purposes, or make specific outdoor athletic facilities available to the
public at large due to demand.
Priority 1: City of Woodbury Programs
Activities that are organized as part of the City's Parks and Recreation Department programs or directly
sponsored by the City as a cooperative program. (Examples: City offered adult programs, summer
playground programs, special events open to the entire community.)
Council Directive
CD- PKREC -7.3
Outdoor Athletic Facility Use Policy
Page 2 of 9
Use - Use will be based on the needs of the program. Needs will be established annually and
communicated to the field coordinators at the field- scheduling meeting respective to the scheduling
season.
Fees - Fees will not be charged.
Council Directive
CD- PKRGC -7.3
Outdoor Athletic Facility Use Policy
Page 3 of 9
Priority II: Public and Private Schools
Schools must be located within the City of Woodbury and there must be an agreement in place that
provides the City with the reciprocal use of the school's athletic facilities. If no agreement is in place,
the school shall be placed in Priority IV.
Use - Use will be limited primarily to weekday activities and concluding prior to or at 6:00 p.m. The
types of uses allowed will be for organized school programs and physical education classes, provided
there is no disruption to the City's normal maintenance of the facilities. Limited use will be allowed for
weekends, later weekday hours and tournaments provided there are no scheduling conflicts with Priority
I or Priority III groups.
The organization shall have liability insurance in place in an amount equal to the statutory
maximum liability of a government unit with the State of Minnesota as set forth in state law,
naming the City of Woodbury as an additionally insured. An all inclusive certificate of this
insurance roust be mailed directly from the agent to the City of Woodbury, Parks and
Recreation Department at the time of annual priority status consideration. The current
statutory limit is $1,500,000 for each occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate.
Fees - Fees will be charged if the City is providing the field maintenance, including lining or field
preparation outside of normal maintenance procedures. Requests for practices, scrimmages, or games
outside Monday — Friday activity time from 3:00 —6:00 p.m. will only be allowed if time permits.
ERHS or WHS intramural programs or offseason teams associated with those schools desire field
allocations outside of their season, school owned facilities, or times (after 6:00 p.m. Monday — Friday)
shall be placed in Priority IV category. This would include teams meeting for captains practice or club
teams such as Rugby; Ultimate Frisbee, VFW, Legion or Amateur teams.
Priority III: IRecoanized Youth Organizations
Youth organizations that provide athletic programs for participants 18 and under, that are independently
incorporated youth athletic associations and are recognized by the City of Woodbury. Organizations
must meet the following requirements on an annual basis to be recognized in this priority category.
1'he City of Wood war «ni} accept one request for the fuueca rnLprnerarrkti. Raereataona
(Inhouse rach.alh: Fecieatic n d (inhouse softball): Recreational tlrrl ou"e �ocecr };
!Zec} ;atmn tl (FIa t ackL: foo i alh: IZecieatioeal (Inhouse
® f lr f?aPtzclt3l}I�S o fer lire in lml.xc of o -rams n usL << }f' \' pa"'lcn).ition to ..Il wo4'dhtit E i"c` ident.S
Cf <ii "( ?less ()l sE'l2f?f t f;liiFit; tYtk.
To avoid compntion wrinomn , st 7 cai,tlonal progr and other entii of`z -rin a such
lr }4rams. ire lds vedl not be Lifloc acd for [Zee ealrc'nal (hrltouse progi nns) prior io age 7.
Cornpetitiv e (Tnavel pro.-.rants) will not be allowed until a, 10.
Council Directive
CD- PKREC -7.3
Outdoor Athletic Facility Use Policy
Page 4 of 9
• Must be a Woodbury based, non - profit, 501(c) (3) organization as defined by the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS). Proof of 501(c) (3) status (letter from IRS) will be required by the City
of Woodbury along with annual certification of status by an officer of the organization.
• Participation shall be ninety percent (90 %) Woodbury residents or attending school within
South Washington County School District #833. A listing of participants must be submitted by
sport to the City of Woodbury with names and addresses to prove residency requirements prior
to the scheduling meeting. Fields will be allocated based upon the number of Woodbury
residents within a particular sport requesting outdoor athletic facilities.
• Organizations in which more than 10% of the participants are non - residents; must acquire field
time proportionate to the percentage of residents that City has. This information must be made
available to staff upon request. (For example if ABC Softball has 15% non - Woodbury residents;
then 15% of total fields requested must be acquired from outside of Woodbury)
A copy of the organization's current board of directors and contacts shall be submitted to the
City of Woodbury.
The organization's board of directors must sign off on a foam letter provided by the City of
Woodbury stating that the following items are in place within their organization, and upon
request will be made available for viewing:
A. A copy of the current bylaws policies and procedures, which govern the operations, shall
be made available to the City of Woodbury or any resident of the community upon
request.
B. The association may not discriminate based on race, ethnic background, religion or
ability, however, may make team assignments based on ability. There will be a written
policy in place describing the formation of teams.
C. The organization shall have a coach's certification training program in place for head
coaches of all sports and it shall address sportsmanship values, safety and liability.
D. All board meetings shall be open to the public and publically advertised. The election of
the governing body shall be a process, which is open to all members as defined by the
bylaws of the organization.
E. The organization shall have a written policy in place for dealing with members that have
special economic, physical and/or social needs.
F. For the health and well being of all participants, the City of Woodbury recommends that
organizations complete background checks on coaches, volunteers and board members.
Council Directive
CD- PKREC -7.3
Outdoor Athletic Facility Use Policy
Page 5 of 9
The organization shall have liability insurance in place in an amount equal to the statutory
maximum liability of a government unit with the State of Minnesota as set forth in state law,
naming the City of Woodbury as an additionally insured. An all inclusive certificate of this
insurance must be mailed directly fi-om the agent to the City of Woodbury, Parks and
Recreation Department at the time of annual priority status consideration. The current
statutory limit is $1,500,000 for each occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate.
The organization agrees to indemnify and defend the City from any claims brought or actions
filed against the City for discrimination, injury or death to any third person or persons, or
damage to property of third person, arising out of the negligent acts of the agents, employees,
and representatives of either party as they relate to the shared use of the fields and facilities
that are reserved under this policy.
Use - Fields will be allocated based upon the number of City of Woodbury residents (participants
residing within the City of Woodbury) in the sport requesting outdoor athletic facilities and shall not
interfere with Priority I and II use. Allocations will be based upon availability, after Priority I and
Priority II use, from 6:00 p.m. — dark Monday — Friday; all day Saturday and Sunday. The City will
hold a sport specific field allocation meeting in which fields will be allocated to those within the Priority
III category.
During the Spring /Summer (April —July) season the following sports will take
priority for field allocations:
• In- house /Travelling Baseball
• In -house /Travelling Softball
• Travelling Soccer
• LAX programs
Other activities will be permitted field space if available and no conflicts with other
programs are foreseen.
During the Fall (August — October) season the following sports /activities will take
priority for field allocations:
o Flag /Tackle Football
o Recreational Soccer
o Travelling Soccer
Other activities will be permitted field space if available and no conflicts with other
programs are foreseen.
Fees - Fees will not be charged for daily use for practices and games. Fees will be charged for camps,
clinics, tournament preparation, lights and concession use. Fees will also be charged for special layouts
and maintenance, which is outside the scope of daily or weekly /maintenance, based on a time and
material basis. Fees will be determined yearly and will be outlined within the City of Woodbury Fee
Ordinance.
Priority IV: Youth and Adult Woodbury Resident Grout's
Council Directive
CD- PKREC -7.3
Outdoor Athletic Facility Use Policy
Page 6 of 9
Youth or adult Woodbury organizations, businesses, team, residents not meeting requirements of
Priority III. The person or organization making request must have a Woodbury address to be eligible for
resident rates.
Use - Use shall be limited to availability of athletic facilities and shall not interfere with Priorities I - III.
Requests will be filled after completion of field allocation of Priority I - III requests.
Fees — Resident fees will be charged for use on an hourly basis as well as any other applicable fees
associated with set -up, maintenance, lights, etc. These fees will be determined annually by the City of
Woodbury, Parks and Recreation Department and outlined within the City of Woodbury Fee Ordinance.
Priority V: Non - Resident Groups
Youth or adult organizations, businesses, teams not residing within the City of Woodbury.
Use - Use shall be limited to availability of athletic facilities and shall not interfere with Priorities I - IV
use. Requests will be filled after completion of field allocation of Priority I -IV requests.
Fees — Non - Resident Fees will be charged for use on an hourly basis as well as any other applicable fees
associated with set -up, maintenance, lights, etc. These fees will be determined annually by the City of
Woodbury, Parks and Recreation Department and outlined within the City of Woodbury Fee Ordinance.
Procedures:
♦ The Parks and Recreation Department will, on a yearly basis, evaluate organizations to determine if
the requirements are met and will issue a statement regarding the organizations priority standing.
Organizations wishing to be evaluated for priority standing must submit required documents,
including a memorandum that states they are abiding by the Priority Ill requirements, by November
15 of the year prior to the year the organization is requesting outdoor fields /facilities.
® Any organization or group which fails to provide for and follow the guidelines set forth above, or
provides false inforniation, is subject to revocation of its athletic facility use reservations, at the
discretion of the Parks and Recreation Department.
s If organizations or groups are at the same priority level, then the field time will be allocated
proportionate to the number of Woodbury residents by sport for which the fields are being allocated,
during the field allocation meeting.
® The City will hold a sport specific field allocation meeting in which fields will be allocated to those
within the Priority III category.
The City will only authorize reservations and changes throughout the reservation period with one
field coordinator per sport.
s The Park and Recreation Department reserves the ability to limit the field time allocated to each
organization.
Council Directive
CD- PKREC -7.3
Outdoor Athletic Facility Use Policy
Page 7 of 9
0 No organization or group will be allowed to sublease athletic facilities.
Field Closures:
Fields may be closed from time to time for maintenance or to prevent damage due to frost, snow -cover
or saturated ground.
The decision to close outdoor athletic facilities will be made by City of Woodbury, Parks and Recreation
Department staff. The decision to close outdoor athletic facilities will be made as follows:
a. When outdoor athletic facilities are closed the Parks and Recreation Department will send an
e -mail to the field scheduling coordinators identified at the beginning of the season by the
sport directors. It is the sport's field scheduling coordinators responsibility to contact all
coaches involved with cancellation information.
b. Weekdays: When possible, the decision to close outdoor athletic facilities will be made by
2:00 p.m. If inclement weather conditions develop after the office closes, the umpire /referee
or the park maintenance staff on duty will make the decision to close fields.
c. Information in regards to outdoor athletic facility closings will also be sent out to sport
directors and field scheduling coordinators through the City of Woodbury's "In Touch"
system. Please encourage those wishing to receive these updates, to sign up through the City
of Woodbury website at www.ci.woodburv.mn.us
d. The City of Woodbury will post field closure information on the City of Woodbury's
Facebook page at the time an "In- Touch" is sent out.
e. City of Woodbury and South Washington County School District #833 personnel reserve the
right to close outdoor athletic facilities under special circumstances.
f If fees have been assessed. credits will be issued if fields are closed by the City of
Woodbury. Fees will not be refunded if sport coaches cancel a practice without the fields
being closed due to weather or field conditions.
Field Maintenance:
Scheduling coordinators and their athletic associations will be held financially responsible for any turf or
facility damage caused by the use of fields /facilities during inclement weather, by the use of fields with
saturated ground or by the use of fields in a negligent or inappropriate manner at any time, (e.g. hitting
balls into fences ((soft toss)), batting practice when not using mound or home plate). Damaged fields
may be closed for extended periods to allow for turf repair and restoration.
Organizations are expected to communicate the field maintenance expectations to their coaches /teams
prior to any use of the facilities. If expected field maintenance is not completed within the time frame of
Council Directive
CD- PKREC -7.3
Outdoor Athletic Facility Use Policy
Page 8 of 9
their allocated pen the organization that the field was permitted to will be billed for time /materials
that our staff incurs to make corrections to the playing area.
Tournaments /Camps /Clinics /Tryouts:
Recognized organizations will receive first consideration for tournaments that they held the previous
year. If that organization does not respond within the time frame identified by the City of Woodbury or
chooses to forgo their previous tournament date; that date will be opened to the next organization.
• Tournament setup form is required two weeks in advance for baseball /softball
tournaments and four weeks in advance for soccer /football /lacrosse tournaments.
• A detailed schedule for the weekend is required 4 days in advance of the tournament start
date.
• Fees will be assessed to the organization for any tournament preparation outside the
normal daily maintenance, including setting bases, lining fields or special layouts at
direct time /materials charges as outlined within the City of Woodbury Fee Ordinance.
• Organizations using a shelter or concessions area for their event are expected to work
with the City of Woodbury staff and pay the fee for that space as outlined within the City
of Woodbury Fee Ordinance.
• Organizations using vendors in conjunction with their event are expected to ensure that
proper documents are collected and vendor fees are paid to the City of Woodbury.
o Must have MN food license
o Must have a valid certificate of insurance
• Must pay Special Event Vendor Permit as outlined within the City of Woodbury
fee ordinance.
• The City of Woodbury staff reserves the right to determine where the vendor
can/cannot set up at the facility.
Camps /Clinics:
Camps /Clinics will be on a first come: first served basis for the recognized organizations beginning the
first working day of the year. The City of Woodbury reserves the right to limit competition from its
City of Woodbury programs or other local agencies.
• A Camp /Clinic will be defined by the City of Woodbury as a function that is outside
of the normal day to day allocations to organizations; regardless if fee's are charged
or not to participants prior to 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. Monday — Friday
• Camps /Clinics will be charged fees as outlined within the City of Woodbury Fee
Ordinance.
• The City of Woodbury will not prepare special layouts for camps /clinics.
Tryouts:
Each organization will be allowed to hold tryouts which will be taken on a first come, first served
basis for recognized organizations beginning the first working day of the year. The City of
Council Directive
CD- PKREC -7.3
Outdoor Athletic Facility Use Policy
Page 9 of 9
Woodbury reserves the right to limit the fields or hours that these are permitted. If two
organizations request the same dates for tryouts; the fields available will be split proportionately
to the percentage of residents that that organization served the year in which tryouts are being
held. Tryout prep camps /clinics will be assessed camp /clinic fee as outlined within the City of
Woodbury Fee Ordinance.