BOE to Consider Charging for Field, Track Rental

The will be considering amending a policy to begin charging organizations that wish to rent its track and field facilities.

The board discussed the policy change briefly during Tuesday's meeting after Board Member Jon Alin spoke about the Policy Committee's consideration of the measure. Alin said the track is in good condition and that it is not fair that the board allows organizations to rent the facility without charging a fee when the municipality does charge a rental fee for its facilities.

Alin asked that the board institute a fee and apply it to applicants moving forward.

"If any new requests come in, we just let them know that there will be a fee," he said.

Alin also suggested that the board consider applying the fee retroactively. But Board President Dr. Karen Cortellino said she would rather wait until the fees have been established by Business Administrator Jim Tevis and continue to use current practices, not charging existing renters a retroactive fee, until the Policy Committee formally recommends the policy change. The Policy Committee is scheduled to meet April 16 and Tevis said he is planning to have a fee recommendation ready in the next two to three weeks.

Referencing a point of Alin's that renting the facilities and allowing increased usage could cause quicker deterioration of the track and field, Cortellino said she thinks the policy will be in place soon enough that it would not have an effect.

"The use of the track for the next two months is not going to damage it where it will make a difference," she said.

Still, Alin said he thinks the board should not continue to allow applicants to rent the facility fee-free in the meantime. Alin said Thursday the issue is not new and has been discussed prior to the vote on as a way for the district to bring in additional revenue. After , the policy amendment had not been brought up since, Alin said.

"If the football field is not turfed, in all likelihood there aren't going to be many people who want to rent a grass field," Alin said Thursday.

But Alin also noted that the revenue would still be beneficial to the district and that rental fees collected from the track, which he felt could be promising due to the good condition of the track, would also be beneficial.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Fried recommended short-term agreements for any applicant who files a request between now and the policy adoption. Board Member Carmela Novi agreed.

"If someone comes to us now, approve it for three weeks then re-approve it under the new policy," she said.

Board members agreed with the idea and will be waiting to charge a fee until the Policy Committee meets again.