Sahuarita studies phased fee increases and app control for field lights to improve maintenance funding

Parks and Recreation staff presented a study-session plan to update athletic-field reservation fees and light-use billing, saying the town has not adjusted those fees since 2013. Staff proposed a two-year, phased approach that would leave daytime multipurpose fields at current rates, increase baseball/softball fees in incremental steps and separate light charges from field rental so organizations pay for light hours they actually use.

"Right now the lights are tied to reservations and often run when no team is on the field," Parks staff said, explaining that switching to the Musco app would let vetted representatives turn lights on and off and provide hourly usage data for billing. Staff estimated the town currently recovers about 5% of field-maintenance costs from fees and is aiming toward a 25% recovery target over time; the department estimated roughly $1,000,000 per year to maintain athletic fields, with electricity cited as the fastest-rising cost.

Council members pressed staff on implementation timing and fairness. Councilmember Shane asked whether the town could build an escalator tied to CPI or another index so fees don’t fall behind future cost increases; staff said they would investigate options and emphasized the need to set an initial baseline and service levels first. Parks staff said pilot changes could roll into an ordinance adoption process in June, with implementation staged to avoid midseason surprises (target dates discussed included calendar-year 2027 for some changes).

Staff also urged improved scheduling and a field-remediation program that would periodically take turf offline to restore playing surfaces. The proposal includes exploring whether RSOs could take on limited maintenance tasks (in coordination with staff) and using billing-in-arrears to reduce prepayment and refund administrative load.

The study session produced consensus to continue stakeholder discussions with sports organizations and return to council with refined numbers and an implementation ordinance; no formal vote was required at the study session.