Residents and councilors push to coordinate school and parks fees after new charges hit youth programs

The Finance Committee on Oct. 6 heard testimony from local youth‑sports leaders and councilors urging the city to coordinate fee policies across departments after the Brockton Public Schools proposed new rental charges for field and facility use.

Al Basler, representing the Brockton Blazers softball organization, said the school facilities team initially informed his group of a $20 per day rental fee for the Raymond School fields — about $5,000 a year on the organization’s existing permit schedule — and that subsequent outreach reduced the charge by 75 percent to roughly $5 per day, cutting estimated annual costs to about $1,000. "We don't want to price any girls out of being able to play softball," Basler said.

Coach and community organizer Erminio Furtado described field conditions and urged the city to invest in maintenance: "How long can we continue to call ourselves the city of champions? Our sports fields are in degradation," he said. Multiple councilors noted the parks commission waives fees for some youth organizations while the school department's structure treats them differently and urged a unified policy to hold down costs.

Councilors also described large bills to summer programs, with one councilor saying a $66,000 bill was reduced to 25 percent, leaving nearly $20,000 owed and causing program cancellations and lost jobs for youth. The committee recommended the resolve inviting affected youth‑sports groups and school representatives to discuss the fee impacts favorably.

The committee asked staff to work with the school department and parks commission on a coordinated approach to fees and to share records and permit documentation with councilors and organizations that request them.