Episode #11 - The City Charges HOW MUCH to Use the Ballfield?! Enhancing Recreational Opportunities Through Effective Facility Use Agreements

Yucaipa is known as a baseball town, having produced 8 ballplayers who have made it to the Major Leagues.  Over the years, demand for ball fields has grown as the population has increased and club/travel ball teams have risen in popularity.  These organizations now compete with Little League for the usage of limited field space.  To complicate matters, local governments everywhere are struggling with skyrocketing costs of providing critical services such as police, fire and road maintenance.  Budgetary limitations have made it difficult for cities to build additional fields and to maintain current facilities at optimal levels.  Financial pressure has made achieving greater cost recovery more important than ever, which has driven up fees for residents.  These challenges are not limited to baseball, but are being experienced with all municipal-owned recreational facilities. 

 

In this episode, City Manager Chris Mann sits down with Community Services Director Megan Wolfe and Finance Director Phil White to discuss Yucaipa’s new approach to field usage agreements, which aims to increase the number of participants that can utilize and benefit from these facilities while providing the revenue needed for the City to continue offering the quality recreational services residents deserve.