City seeks return on parks investment

The city of Shawnee has maintained its public parks for years, while private entities use them for group activities and for monetary gain. Officials are looking at ways to get more return on the city’s investment.
Members of Shawnee’s contract review committee met Wednesday to discuss how to develop a contract for groups who use public parks, which are maintained and funded by the city. Groups using the parks typically charge membership fees and have concessions, and the city doesn’t receive any money for the use.
“It’s time for us to get involved in this,” Shawnee Mayor Chuck Mills said. “We’re talking about protecting the community and requiring accountability.”
The group agreed to develop a basic contract for a manager of the parks. The contract would set what revenue the city receives, guidelines for the parks and how the manager would interact with the public requesting use of the parks.
The city has four parks used for baseball and softball — Dockery, Lions Club, Milstead and Lilac.
Mills said the problem is that there doesn’t seem to be accountability from the groups to the parents involved and the city is maintaining the fields without seeing anything in return.
Parks Superintendent James Bryce said the parks are mowed and the buildings are maintained by city employees. The city also pays for the utilities at the parks. At Dockery Park, the group using the field does maintain the infields and picks up the trash, he said.
“It is one of the better looking ball fields, because he (Chuck Adams) takes the time for the infields,” Bryce said.
Bryce said Lions Club Park is used by the Shawnee Youth Baseball league, but the city does most of the maintenance. He said the park is accessible to the public by walk-through gates.
Bryce said for the past couple years the city has had an agreement with the organization about mowing the grass, but the city has had to mow the grass because residents complain about it getting too high.
“My responsibility is to make it look good whether it’s done by the league or the city,” Bryce said, adding the upkeep and appearance are the biggest issues for Lions Club Park.
Bryce said the organization has made some changes to the ball fields, including building a tee-ball field. He said the city wasn’t asked or notified about it.
Commissioner Linda Peterson said, “At some point, we need to have an understanding of the limit people can do on public property.”
Toni Gray, operations manager and assistant to the city manager, said she has looked at several agreements with communities that use contracts for league use on public parks. She said there are various agreements, ranging from charging $1 to the city receiving a portion of the proceeds.
Mills said Bethel has a set fee, which is determined by estimating utility costs for water and power. The Bethel youth group runs tournaments, concessions and games with keeping all the proceeds.
Mills said Bethel still allows other residents to use the field. The league provides a schedule, and other groups can use the field when not in use by the league, he said.
“It at least covers the basic costs,” he said. “We have to at least cover our costs.”
The group will develop a contract and then approach groups interested in managing the parks.
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Amanda Gire may be reached at amanda.gire@news-star.com or at 214-3934.