City Mulls Fee for Use of Athletic Fields

Youth and adult sports organizations would have to pay to use city-operated athletic fields under a plan city officials are studying.

Officials are considering a $3-per-participant fee that would offset the cost of part-time employees to monitor fields and parks, where vandalism and illicit use has been on the rise.

Marie Knight, manager of leisure services, said Garden Grove’s eight parks, which include 27 sports facilities, have struggled to meet a growth in use, some of it coming from “renegade” adult teams who lack the proper permits.

“There are new youth groups forming and the traditional groups are growing in size,” said Knight, who proposed the fee at the City Council’s Monday meeting. “The park ranger programs in other cities are driving more and more renegade adult groups here.”

In a survey of other Orange County cities, Knight said Fountain Valley charges its Little League group $795 monthly and other teams $7.50 per hour. Huntington Beach charges $5 per participant and Los Alamitos charges a flat $5,000 fee.

Garden Grove is considering the $3-per-participant fee in the regular season and $100 for 72 hours in the off-season.

Council members will consider a formal proposal sometime this summer.