REPORT TO PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Make a Recommendation to City Council to Adopt Updated Definitions for Field User Categories, Field User Priorities of Use, and Relevant Recreation Fields and Turf Areas Reservations: Practice & Games Fees for the Municipal Fee Schedule 2025/26.
Report
COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Deliver and Enhance High-Quality, Efficient Services and Infrastructure
Enhance Community Sports, Recreational, and Arts Assets
Enhance Community Engagement and Transparency
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clara has a history of supporting youth sports organizations with sports practice and competition facilities. Sports fields have been opened, closed, staffed, and maintained for youth sports use at no charge. Youth sports organizations were required to meet City criteria to receive access to the fields. As the community has grown and the demand for sports fields has increased, the City has had difficulty meeting the demand for field space for all users in the City. In recent years, the “free service” model has widened the gap between the City’s general fund budget and the operational cost recovery for utilities, equipment, labor, and maintenance. Although the City continues to place a high community value on youth sports, the need to recover operating costs and plan long-term capital improvement projects has become necessary to deliver high quality facilities and services for the community.
In 2021, the City Council directed staff to conduct a Parks and Recreation Fee and Cost Recovery Study. The study included an extensive community engagement process and resulted in the Cost Recovery Policy adopted by the City Council on April 19, 2022 (Attachment 1, RTC 22-99). The new fees were adopted with the FY 2022/23 Municipal Fee Schedule. The City began charging youth sports organizations for field use permits in fall 2022 under the category: Recreation Fields and Turf Areas Reservations: Practice & Games.
In March 2024, staff began meeting with youth sports user groups (Groups) to discuss the status of Santa Clara youth sports in general and field allocation priority. Staff sought an opportunity to build relationships through a series of in-person meetings; safety for participants was a topic of discussion along with effective use of Wade Brummal Scholarship funds, permitting process, aging infrastructure, and facility conditions. As part of the FY 2023/24 Municipal Fee process (April 23, 2024), the City Council took action to suspend field use fees for non-profit youth sports groups and directed staff to examine the Wade Brummal Scholarship Program Guidelines and explore the feasibility of fee waivers for non-profit youth sports groups.
Through June 4, 2024, City Council direction (Attachment 2, RTC 24-508), field reservation use fees (grass and synthetic) were suspended for non-profit youth sports groups. Additionally, City Council directed staff to further evaluate field use fees, meet with the youth sports groups, and return with updated fees for FY 2025/26 that included no increase.
More than 20 Groups, members of the public, and the Parks & Recreation Commission were invited to participate in the ongoing meetings/discussions related to youth sports in Santa Clara. In total, there were 9 hybrid (in-person with Zoom option) meetings held in March, July, October, November, and December of 2024, and January and February of 2025. The meeting invitation and participation list are included (Attachments 3 and 4) as part of this report. Several of the meetings were recorded and posted to the City’s website.
The Groups spent several meetings discussing youth sports groups categories, priorities, and definitions. Additionally, the Groups provided feedback and supported updates to the Wade Brummal Scholarship Program, which was presented to the Parks & Recreation Commission in February 2025. Upon review and recommendation by Parks & Recreation Commission, the City Council will consider the updates to the Wade Brummal Scholarship Program in March 2025. Lastly, the Groups reviewed proposed fees for field user permits and provided feedback to staff.
DISCUSSION
The purpose of this item is to explain the process the community and staff undertook to present an update of Field User Categories, Field User Priorities of Use, and new Municipal Fees for Fields and Turf Areas Reservations: Practice & Games Fees for field use permits to the Commission and make a recommendation for adoption to the City Council. Should the Commission make a recommendation to the City Council for adoption, the Council will have the opportunity to review and consider this item in April 2025.
In the process of meeting with the Groups, the conversations and values discussed afforded the development of the following categories, priorities for field allocations, and definitions for review by the Commission. The importance of the sports field use for City of Santa Clara residents and for the development of youth athletes was a continued theme in the Groups discussions. Those values informed the proposed Field User Categories and Priorities of Use.
FIELD USER CATEGORIES & PRIORITIES OF USE
1. City Programs: City of Santa Clara scheduled programs and activities.
2. Resident Youth Non-Profit: Youth activity groups based in and serving the City of Santa Clara (51% City of Santa Clara residents required). Youth are described as 18 years and under. Proof of Santa Clara residency is required. Non-profit organizations with 51% of membership Santa Clara residents must provide a roster within seven working days of application, including the organization’s name, the player’s names/initials, addresses, school (if outside the city boundaries), and zip codes.
3. Resident Adult Non-Profit: Adult activity groups based in and serving the City of Santa Clara (51% City of Santa Clara residents required). Adults are described as 18 years or older. Proof of Santa Clara residency is required. Non-profit organizations with 51% of membership Santa Clara residents must provide a roster within seven working days of application, including the organization’s name, the player’s names/initials, addresses, school (if outside the city boundaries), and zip codes.
4. Resident: A resident is any player/athlete who resides within the City of Santa Clara. Residency may be determined if attending a Santa Clara Unified School District school or a private school located in the City of Santa Clara. In addition, a utility bill, car registration, or bank statement may validate residency. Not for organized play. This rate is to be used for personal play only.
5. Non-Resident: A "non-resident" is any player/athlete who does not reside within the geographic boundaries of the City of Santa Clara or attend one of the Santa Clara Unified School District schools or a private school located in the City of Santa Clara.
6. Commercial: Any registered LLC, business or corporation selling a service. Maybe used for film or photo permits, for profit competitive sports leagues for play. These groups have paid coaches and may have paid sports staff.
The Field User Categories and Priorities of Use represent the value Santa Clara has placed on supporting youth sports. The list also adds a new category to differentiate non-profit sports groups that serve adults and further define the criteria groups need to meet to fall into these priorities of use. With this suggested system, sports groups can be categorized, and fields can be allocated according to priorities.
During the meeting/discussion process, one of the Groups proposed adding a new user group category to address non-resident non-profit youth sports groups; they suggested the new category be placed between the Resident and Non-Resident categories. Apart from the proposing Group and a group from San Jose, none of the Groups in attendance were in favor of adding a new user group category, citing two key reasons: 1) Non-resident fees should be viewed as a cost recovery model for the City in an effort to maintain low/affordable fees for resident youth non-profit organizations, and 2) Elevating the user group status will further impact the already difficult field use schedule/allocation for resident youth non-profit groups. Currently, the resident non-profit youth sports groups have limited access, as reservations for key sports fields are at capacity during prime time (Mon - Fri 3:30-10 p.m. and all day on Sat - Sun). Adding a new category with increased priority and lower fees would open the fields to non-resident sports organizations outside the City.
In addition to meeting with the Groups to discuss Wade Brummal and the Categories and Priorities of Use, Staff discussed fees with the Groups. The Group reviewed benchmarking (Attachment 5) staff conducted among agencies within Santa Clara County, many of which have comparable facilities with the City of Santa Clara. These benchmarking results were shared with the Groups as early as December 2024, including those Groups unable to attend the meetings/discussions.
In Staff’s review of the benchmarking and the review of infrastructure needs, Staff recommends adding a separate fee for use of synthetic fields and field lights in FY 2027/28. It is important that these fees be reviewed by the Groups in fall/winter 2026/27, as they will go into effect July 1, 2027, as part of the FY 2027/28 Muni Fee adoption. These new fees may be based on market rate; the City could use the new fees to off-set synthetic field and lighting replacement costs.
Through the dialogue, the Groups expressed interest and support for resident youth non-profit priority balanced with transparent, market-based, low-cost recovery rates; while supporting the City’s short and long-term operating, maintenance, and infrastructure needs. Based on benchmarking and discussion with and feedback from the Groups, the following field use fees are recommended for implementation in the next Muni Fee Adoption.
|
|
Field User Categories & Priorities for Use |
Current Field Rental Fee |
FY 2025/26 |
FY 2026/27 |
FY 2027/28 |
+ Lights FY 2027/28 |
+Synthetic Turf FY 2027/28 |
|
1. |
City Programs |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
2. |
Resident Youth Non-Profit* |
$14 |
$8 |
$10 |
$10+CPI |
**MR |
**MR |
|
3. |
Resident Adult Non-Profit |
$14 |
$25 |
$30 |
$30+CPI |
**MR |
**MR |
|
4. |
Resident |
$100 |
$60 |
$60 |
$60+CPI |
**MR |
**MR |
|
5. |
Non-Resident |
$280 |
$280 |
$280+CPI |
2027+CPI |
**MR |
**MR |
|
6. |
Commercial |
$280 |
$280 |
$280+CPI |
2027+CPI |
**MR |
**MR |
With the discussion of the fees and the benchmarking, two Groups suggested a sliding scale of 50% payment (citing the City of Campbell as an example) for resident youth non-profit organizations with 75% (or more) resident athlete enrollment. This would further discount the resident non-profit youth user rates, which will be at or below market rate and incrementally increase over time. Although this approach aligns with the City’s values, using the City of Campbell as a sole example is difficult as they have less user groups and approximately 3 fields within their shared inventory. This would be a time and cost-prohibitive approach and counter to the City’s ability to improve cost recovery relative to staffing and operations. An extensive process would be required to review and validate each league roster (annually or per application period). Additionally, this approach would not close the gap between field use fees and the City’s ability to recover costs relative to utility, equipment, maintenance, and capital replacement expenses.
The fee for Commercial use was discussed by the Groups. This fee has been in the Muni Fee schedule above market rate fee. This rate is put in place to off-set the lower fees charged to the other categories. The Commercial use can only be actualized before 3pm Monday - Friday and cannot be used on the weekends or above the Priority of Use for Resident Youth Sports Non-Profits.
The City's Community Grant application and process was shared with the Groups. The Community Grant standardized the City’s process to award grants to qualifying nonprofit community organizations, athletic groups or organizations, educational groups or organizations, or individuals, for events, activities, and competitions that provide a public benefit to the City of Santa Clara and its residents.
The City’s long time Santa Clara Championship Team Fund Program, which provides funding to Santa Clara teams and groups competing or participating in state, national or international competition or performance, has been incorporated into the new Community Grant Program. The Groups were encouraged to apply for the Community Grant program as needs and qualifying events occur.
The following items are presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission to consider and recommend to Council for final approval and adoption:
a. Field User Group Categories and Priorities
b. Fields and Turf Areas Reservations: Practice & Games Fees
If adopted, the new fees will take effect July 1, 2025, along with the FY 2025/26 Muni Fee Adoption and applied to any/all permits applied for after that date.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) in that it is a fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potential significant impact on the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no direct impact on the City’s General Fund Budget with the adoption of new user categories or priorities. Implementation of field use facility fees will enhance the City’s ability to maintain and/or close the subsidy gap relative to staffing, maintenance and capital improvement expenses. Additionally, Parks and Recreation will work with Finance to evaluate and establish a capital maintenance and replacement fund relative to field use facility fee revenue.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Parks & Recreation Commission agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
...Recommendation
Make a Recommendation to City Council to Adopt Updated Definitions for Field User Categories, Field User Priorities of Use, and Relevant Recreation Fields and Turf Areas Reservations: Practice & Games Fees for the Muni Fee Schedule 2025/26.
...Staff
Prepared by: Kimberly Castro, Recreation Manager
Reviewed by: Damon Sparacino, Parks & Recreation Director
Approved by: Jōvan Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Report to Council 22-99
2. Report to Council 24-508
3. Youth Sports Organizations Meeting Invite List
4. Youth Sports Organizations Attendance 2024-25
5. Benchmarking Field Fees. FY 2025