City May Fund Soccer Field Improvements

Looking to assist a soccer group that has been raising funds to fix up fields in Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks City Manager Grant Brimhall is proposing to spend $25,000 to finish the job.

Following up on a request by Councilman Mike Markey to help a local American Youth Soccer Organization chapter pay for improvements to Pepper Tree Park, Brimhall is asking the council to approve spending $25,000 from development agreement funds.

Such an expenditure would be appropriate, he said in a memo to the council, because the upgraded park will be used by the public at large as well as the youth soccer league.

In a related matter, council members on Tuesday will also consider setting aside $100,000 this fiscal year for potential requests from sports and recreation-related nonprofit groups, as well as an additional $100,000 to set up an endowment for the same purpose.

The money for Pepper Tree Park would come from this fund.

For some time, the soccer organization’s Region 42 group in Newbury Park has been raising money to add two fields at Pepper Tree Park, complete a parking lot and a second driveway to access the parking lot.

Because of a shortage of soccer fields--and the budget constraints of the Conejo Recreation and Park District, which is in charge of maintaining Thousand Oaks parks--the group decided it had no choice but to take on the task.

“The organization has done a phenomenal job of fund-raising, but they need some assistance,” Markey said.