After several debates during the last couple of months and questions as to whether or not fee revenue would adequately cover the cost of operating the new Mill Creek Sports Park, the City Council narrowly approved an interim fee schedule for the park.
By a 4-2 vote Tuesday, Sept. 23, the Council approved a fee structure that will be reviewed after one soccer season and one Little League season.
Dale Hensley, John “Jack” Start, Donna Michelson and John Hudgins voted in favor of the fees, while Mayor Terry Ryan and Mary Kay Voss voted against the measure. Council member Dan Hodge left the meeting prior to the vote for unspecified personal reasons.
Ryan, a long-time supporter of a sports park, said he wanted to make sure people weren’t getting the impression that he was opposed to the park in any way. He said he thought it was fair to ask park users to contribute to its maintenance, and that he would favor higher fees. He also said he doubted the fees as set would recover enough costs of running the park, including eventual replacement of the artificial turf playing surface.
The most controversial part of the fees were rental rates set for organizations like the Silver Lake Soccer Club and Mill Creek Little League. Both had protested that a rate of $18 per hour was too high, and after review by the city’s Parks Board, new rates were set at $10 an hour. The new fees had the support of the soccer club and Little League, although Mill Creek Little League president Dave Charleson indicated that feeling wasn’t unanimous.
“I have a board that thinks they shouldn’t pay anything,” said Charleson. “The board will not support this, but I think the fees are reasonable.”
Charleson also said that the fees, which include a lighting charge of $12 per hour for night use, was so high that the league will not use the facility at night because it doesn’t want to increase fees to parents.
Council members who voted in favor of the measure were divided about whether or not user fees were the right way to maintain the field.
“I don’t think user fees is how you do it,” Hensley said. “We should set aside money in the budget every year to eventually replace the Field Turf.”
Michelson said, “What I struggle with is we don’t charge users to use any of other parks, like Heron Park. We mow the lawns, we clean up the trash.”
City parks director Lynn Devoir said the fees were similar to use fees for other parks in the area, such as Kasch Park in Everett.
Voss, however, remained steadfast in her opposition to the lower fees. Voss, who has been outspoken about making sure the city isn’t subsidizing operations at the park, rejected the motion because she also believed the fees were too low.
“I don’t see $15 as an outrageous amount,” she said. “I think we have to be responsible to all citizens.”
Hudgins, the Council’s representative on the parks board, said he felt the fees were fair and saw no difficulty in giving the fees a one-season trial run.
After one season each of Little League and soccer, the Council can review the fees and, using information on field usage and revenue, decide whether or not the fees need to be adjusted.
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