2022-10-18 City Council Agenda Packet - Work Session
CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION AGENDA
October 18, 2022 4:00pm
City Hall 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. DISCUSSION
a. Field and Facility Use Policy Review
3. ADJOURNMENT TO CLOSED SESSION Pursuant to MN Statutes 13D.05, subd. 3(a)
a. City Administrator Annual Evaluation
4. CALL BACK TO ORDER
5. ADJOURNMENT
______________________________________________ City Council Work Session Memo
DATE: October 18, 2022
TO: Mayor, City Council and City Administrator
FROM: Meredith Lawrence, Parks and Recreation Manager
Ryan Ruzek, Public Works Director
SUBJECT: Field and Facility Use Policy Review
INTRODUCTION
Annually, the city council reviews the Field and Facility Use policy and recommended changes for
the efficient allocation and operation of city fields.
BACKGROUND
The City coordinates and issues permits for the use of City fields and facilities. City fields and
facilities are often used in a multi-purpose manner and are requested by a variety of sport
providers and users each year.
The Field Use and Allocation policy has been in place since the early 1990’s, and has evolved as
users and the sports environment changed. The current Field and Facility Use policy was
originally approved by the City Council in November, 2018 and was last amended in December,
2021.
Fees for use of city fields and facilities are included as part of the city’s fee schedule.
Attachments: Field and Facility Use Policy
Field and Facility Use Fees
REQUESTED ACTION
Staff will present a review of the 2022 season and an overview of proposed Field and Facility Use
Policy amendments. Additionally, the council is asked to have an initial discussion on field and
facility use fees in anticipation of the setting of the 2023 city fee schedule.
CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
FIELD AND FACILITY USE POLICY
CONTACT: Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation
1101 Victoria Curve
Mendota Heights, MN 55118
651-452-1850
APPROVED: November, 2018
REVISED: December, 2021
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City of Mendota Heights
Field and Facility Use Policy
A. PURPOSE
The City of Mendota Heights, hereinafter referred to as the “City”, coordinates and issues
permits for the use of athletic fields and facilities owned by the City. The purpose of this policy
is to establish guidelines for the allocation and management of City athletic fields and facilities.
For purposes of this policy, fields shall be defined as an athletic area where people participate
in sports and shall include facilities and fields, ice rinks, and tennis and basketball courts.
The objectives to this policy include: allocating the use of the current athletic fields to support
Parks and Recreation programs throughout the City and for Mendota Heights’ residents,
preserving the facilities offered by minimizing wear and tear, and preventing overuse while
conserving maintenance costs.
B. FIELD USE PERMITS
The City will coordinate and allocate the use of city athletic fields and facilities for city and non-
city organizations, groups, and individuals to play, practice, hold tournaments, and other sport
and non-sport related events.
Field and facility use permits are issued following the City’s permit process. Permit applicants
must be 18 years of age or older. A permit is issued only after an allocation request is made, all
required documents and information is received, and the City has approved the request, either
in-part or in its entirety. A request does not constitute an approval.
All reservations require the issuance of a permit. The use of a field or facility begins and ends at
the times stated on the permit including set-up and clean-up. Any special requests or
arrangements must be made as part of the permit application process. This includes special
lining requests for fields. Each permit must also include an approximation of users at the facility
for parking and amenity considerations.
The City reserves the right to deny, limit or revoke use permits based upon an applicant’s
performance history including compliance with established rules and policies, field conditions
after use, and unruly behavior of participants and guests.
Application Deadlines
Permits will be issued three times throughout the year based on the following timeline:
• Permit requests for use from December through February will be due on the first
business day in November.
• Permit requests for use from March through July will be due on the first business day in
February.
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o Requests for tournaments at Mendakota are due the first business day in
January. Staff has 21 days to respond to applications.
• Permit requests for use from August through November will be due on the first business
day in June.
To balance use, the City reserves the right to allocate specific fields to specific users and to limit
the number of fields allocated to any one group or user. The City does not guarantee that a
priority group or user will receive the fields or times requested. The City will make every effort
to work with all users in the scheduling of City fields and facilities. In certain cases, when
reservation requests are received for the same or similar days and times, reservations shall not
be confirmed by the City until after area meetings are held and actual team schedules are
confirmed.
Reservations received after the deadline will be handled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The City reserves the right to keep unreserved athletic fields and facilities available to the
general public for open, unstructured or public recreation on a first come/first serve basis
during normal operating hours.
Field request forms are available at City Hall or on the City’s website.
C. PRIORITY GROUP CLASSIFICATIONS
Due to the limited number of fields and facilities and the volume of requests, the City has
established criteria for priority use.
An organization’s priority group classification will be considered during the assignment of the
priority for field and facility allocation. Priority use of fields will be given to traditional primary
season sports and by priority group classification.
Priority use of field will be allocated as follows:
Priority #1: City of Mendota Heights Sponsored or Co-Sponsored Programming, Events and
Activities
This includes activities that are organized through or in connection with the City of Mendota
Heights Parks and Recreation Department, directly sponsored by the City, or as a cooperative
program with other jurisdictions. Reservations for City sponsored activities, programs, games,
practices, leagues and tournaments may be taken at any time for any date. There are no use
fees charged for City reservations.
Priority #2: Public and Private Schools Located in Mendota Heights
This includes schools that are located within the City of Mendota Heights. An agreement must
be in place that defines the City of Mendota Heights’ reciprocal use of the school’s athletic
facilities. If there is no agreement in place, the priority shall be moved to priority #4 and use
fees will be assessed.
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On an annual basis, public and private schools recognized in this priority category must submit
the following:
• Certification of Coaches Training and Background Check Screening Compliance. The
City requires that a recognized public or private school must submit, on an annual basis,
a signed Coaches Training and Background Check Screening Compliance Certification.
The Certification shall be signed by an authorized representative and must be on file
with the City before the first permitted day of each year, regardless of the sport.
• Proof of Insurance. The City requires that a recognized public or private school must
submit, on an annual basis, proof of insurance. Proof must be on file with the City
before the first reservation day of each year, regardless of the sport. See Section I for
insurance requirements.
Priority #3: Recognized Youth Athletic Associations
This includes Youth Athletic Associations that are recognized by the City of Mendota Heights.
Recognized youth athletic associations are defined by the following characteristics:
• The association has nonprofit status under Section 501c3 or other applicable provision
as defined by Internal Revenue Services (IRS) and is in good standing with the
Minnesota Secretary of State.
• The association conducts sports programs that are primarily social and/or recreational
in nature. The association administers and abides by an “everyone plays” philosophy
and has a no cut policy.
• The association serves the athletic needs of youth in Mendota Heights, is primarily
Mendota Heights based and provides significant benefit and service to residents of the
City of Mendota Heights. Upon request, the association is able to provide team rosters
to substantiate that the association (by sport) serves a majority Mendota Heights
residents.
• Registration must be open to the public. The association must not discriminate on the
basis of race, ethnicity, economic status, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability,
or ability. Team assignments may be determined by ability, however, the organization
must have a policy for determining teams based on ability.
• The association conducts youth sports programming through volunteer coaches and
board of directors selected by the membership.
• The association completes background check screenings on all coaches, assistant
coaches, board members, volunteers and anyone who has contact with children. The
association has a written background check screening policy.
In addition to the characteristics of an association defined herein, recognized Youth Athletic
Associations must submit the following to the City, upon request:
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• Documentation from the Internal Revenue Service showing tax exempt status under
Section 501c3 or other applicable provision.
• Association bylaws and policies.
• A list of the Board of Directors for the association and current contact information
including telephone and email address.
On an annual basis, Youth Athletic Associations recognized in this priority category must submit
the following:
• Certification of Coaches Training and Background Check Screening Compliance. The
City requires that a recognized Association must submit, on an annual basis, a signed
Coaches Training and Background Check Screening Compliance Certification. The
Certification shall be signed by an authorized representative and must be on file with
the City before the first permitted day of each year, regardless of the sport.
• Proof of Insurance. The City requires that a recognized Association must submit, on an
annual basis, proof of insurance. Proof must be on file with the City before the first
reservation day of each year, regardless of the sport. See Section I for insurance
requirements.
• Rosters by Season. For demographic and billing purposes, the City requires that a
recognized Association submit rosters by sport. Provided information shall include sport
types, team name, year, name of participant, and address including city and zip code.
The City will make every effort to accommodate all permit requests. In the event of competing
requests from recognized associations in this category, the City will determine allocation of
fields and facilities based on the following factors:
• The percentage of verifiable Mendota Heights residents served in the permit request.
The request which has the majority of Mendota Heights residents confirmed will receive
a higher priority.
Residency percentages will be established using rosters from the most current season.
Rosters must be submitted in .xls or .csv format. Information provided must include:
sport type, team name, season of sport/year, participant name, address including city
and zip code.
• Previous experience with the City of Mendota Heights.
• Date and time of permit request.
Priority #4: Recognized Community Youth Sports Clubs and Leagues
This includes sports organizations which provide athletic leagues or clubs for Mendota Heights’
youth and are separate from the Youth Athletic Associations. The City recognizes that
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recreational play may be available through clubs and leagues and encourages organizations
with recreational offerings to partner with City recognized Youth Athletic Associations for
maximum field and facility accommodation.
Youth sports clubs and leagues are defined by the following characteristics:
• The organization may be for-profit or have nonprofit status under Section 501c3 or
other applicable provision as defined by Internal Revenue Services (IRS) and is in good
standing with the Minnesota Secretary of State.
• The organization conducts sports programs that are competitive in nature. The
curriculum and programming is focused on the maximum development and exposure of
players to the next level of play.
• The organization conducts youth sports programming through paid coaches, board
members and/or administrative staff.
• The organization does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, background,
sexual orientation, religion, disability, or ability. Team assignments may be determined
by ability. There must be a policy for determining teams based on ability.
• The organization completes background check screenings on all coaches, assistant
coaches, board members, volunteers and anyone who has contact with children. The
association has a written background check screening policy.
In addition to the characteristics of a Youth Sport Club or League defined herein, recognized
Youth Sport Clubs and Leagues must submit the following to the City, upon request:
• The organization’s bylaws and policies which govern operations.
• A list of the Board of Directors for the organization and current contact information
including telephone and email address.
On an annual basis, Community Youth Sports Clubs and Leagues recognized in this priority
category must submit the following:
• Certification of Coaches Training and Background Check Screening Compliance. The
City requires that a recognized Community Youth Sports Club or League must submit, on
an annual basis, a signed Coaches Training and Background Check Screening Compliance
Certification. The Certification shall be signed by an authorized representative and must
be on file with the City before the first reservation day of each year, regardless of the
sport.
• Proof of Insurance. The City requires that a recognized Community Youth Sports Club
or League must submit, on an annual basis, proof of insurance. Proof must be on file
with the City before the first reservation day of each year, regardless of the sport. See
Section I for insurance requirements.
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• Rosters by Season. For demographic and billing purposes, the City requires that a
recognized Community Youth Sports Club or League submit rosters by sport. Provided
information shall include sport types, team name, year, name of participant, and
address including city and zip code.
In an event of competing requests from recognized organizations in the category, the City will
determine allocation based on the following factors:
• The percentage of verifiable Mendota Heights residents served in the permit request.
The request which has the majority of Mendota Heights residents confirmed will receive
a higher priority.
Residency percentages will be established using rosters from the most current season.
Rosters must be submitted in .xls or .csv format. Information provided must include:
sport type, team name, season of sport/year, participant name, address including city
and zip code.
• Previous experience with the City of Mendota Heights.
• Date and time of permit request.
Priority #5: Mendota Heights Residents Use of the Facility for Personal Use
This includes residents of Mendota Heights using fields and facilities for personal use.
In an event of competing requests in the category, the City will determine allocation based on
the following factors:
• Date and time of permit request
• Previous experience with the City of Mendota Heights
Priority #6: Mendota Heights-Based Businesses/Commercial Organizations
This includes business and commercial organizations that have a Mendota Heights office as
evidenced by their address to use the facilities.
In an event of competing requests in this category, the City will determine allocation based on
the following factors:
• Data and time of the permit request
• Previous experience with the City of Mendota Heights
Priority #7: Non-Mendota Heights Organizations, Businesses, and Individuals
This includes all non-Mendota Heights residents, organizations, groups, and businesses who
want to use the facilities.
In an event of competing requests in this category, the City will determine allocation based on
the following factors:
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• Date and time of the permit request
• Previous experience with the City of Mendota Heights
D. SPORT SEASON PRIORITY
A sport in its traditional season will be given priority consideration for field and facility use over
an out-of-season sport. The following are considered traditional sport seasons:
• Spring/Summer: Baseball, Softball, T-Ball, Lacrosse
• Fall: Soccer, Football
• Winter: Hockey
Fields and facilities will be used for the intended sport unless otherwise authorized by the City.
The City will attempt to accommodate emerging sports, when feasible.
E. FEES
The City may charge application and use fees in order to recover public costs to operate,
maintain, repair, improve and administer the use of City fields. For each application submitted,
an application fee shall be assessed. Field use fees shall be approved by the City Council and
included in the City’s Fee Schedule. Use fees are subject to change at the discretion of the City
Council.
All users who receive a permit for exclusive use of a field must pay the appropriate fee per the
City fee schedule. Payments can be made by cash, check or credit/debit card.
F. NON-USE OF FIELDS, FIELD EXCHANGE, OR SUBLEASE
When permits are issued, a specific field is reserved for the user, to the exclusion of others.
Recognizing this exclusivity, groups should only reserve the fields intended for use.
Users may not assign their scheduled time to other groups or sublease fields under any
circumstance. Any such action will result in the loss of rental/allocation privileges. A user may
not “give up or exchange” their allocation or any part of it, without a written agreement
between the impacted parties and City approval. Subleasing of fields without City approval will
result in revocation of all permits for all parties.
Any organization that has been allocated space and subsequently determines that it cannot use
it according to the permit issued shall notify the City so that the field may be reallocated or
otherwise used by another group or the general public.
Blanket permitting of City field and facilities by any user group is prohibited. Users will be
required to provide team schedules that indicate all allocated fields and facilities have been
scheduled, when requested. The City will verify the use of reserved field and facilities. A
pattern of continued non-use of a rented, permitted field will result in the revocation of the use
permit and the assignment of the field or facility to another user group.
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G. FIELD CLOSURE, PERMIT CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS
The City is responsible for determining if a field shall be scheduled for use or not and reserves
the right to decide to periodically not schedule specific athletic fields and facilities. The City
attempts to be flexible in accommodating user groups, but ultimately, the health and safety of
the user and the condition and playability of a field takes priority. This may require the closure
of fields or facilities, denial of use of a field or facility, and/or the assignment of alternate sites
for use.
Field closures will be communicated to permit holders by the Recreation Program Coordinator.
The City may cancel use of City fields/facilities for reasons including, but not limited to, any of
the following reasons:
• City maintenance work involving the facility or field
• When the health or safety of participants is threatened
• Inclement weather
• Wear and tear of the field including field retirement for regrowth and rehabilitation
• Unforeseen events including fire, drought, natural disaster or vandalism
• Non-adherence to field and facility use policy, City ordinances, or use rules and
regulations
Permits cancelled by the City of Mendota Heights may be rescheduled as availability allows, or
may be refunded in full. Permits cancelled due to non-adherence with field and facility use
policy, City Ordinances, or use rules and regulations will not be refunded.
Permits cancelled by the user:
• More than 30 days in advance will receive a 100% refund (excluding application fee)
• 15-30 days in advance will receive a 50% refund (excluding application fee)
• Less than 14 days in advance will not receive a refund
• In the event of a weather related cancellation by the user, the user must notify the
Recreation Program Coordinator within two (2) business days after the cancellation to
confirm a credit or to arrange rescheduling. If the City is not notified within two (2)
business days by the user that the event was cancelled due to inclement weather, the
user will be billed as if the event occurred.
H. MAINTENANCE
The City performs maintenance on a routine basis to ensure fields and facilities are in good
repair. The City will determine the appropriate number of hours each field can be used per
season. Permit users will not be able to use the fields more than the hours allowed. This will be
based on the field’s current condition and estimated intended City use throughout the year.
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Infield dragging. Infield dragging is done during the week (Monday – Friday) according to the
schedule as defined by the City. Fields are not dragged or striped on the weekend (Saturday
and Sunday) or on holidays; unless the user has paid a tournament preparation fee.
If fields are too wet, fields will not be dragged with motorized equipment, the City will still chalk
and hand rake to reduce low spots in the infield.
Lining and striping of fields. Lining and striping of fields shall be done during the week
(Monday –Friday) according to the schedule as defined by the City. Fields are not lined or
striped on the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) or on holidays. A single field will not be lined
with more than one field overlay per season, unless the City can accommodate it.
Foul lines will be painted in the outfield on all baseball fields during the season, but infield
chalking will only be done at Mendakota and Civic Center fields. Groups wanting to chalk fields
shall have received approval from the Recreation Program Coordinator, prior to chalking.
Rink Flooding. Flooding of outdoor rinks will occur on an as needed basis, based on weather
and rink conditions.
Clean up and disposing of waste. Users are expected to dispose of waste in proper trash and
recycling receptacles. The City of Mendota Heights prides itself on being a clean and green
community, and renters are asked to recycle as much of their waste as possible.
I. INSURANCE
The permit holder agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the City from any and all claims,
actions, damages, losses and expenses, including reasonable attorney fees, arising out of the
use of the facility by the permit holder and its members, guests and agents. Field and facility
users must provide insurance coverage throughout the period of use naming the City of
Mendota Heights as “additional insured”.
Permit holders will be required to provide proof of general liability insurance coverage at a
minimum amount of $2,000,000 for property damage and bodily injury. Proof of insurance via
a Certificate of Insurance must be provided at least 14 days prior to the first date of play or
special event.
J. CONCESSION SALES
No organization or person shall sell or offer any product, food or service for sale without the
prior written approval of the City. The sale of beer or other alcoholic beverages is prohibited.
Requests which include the use of food trucks will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Food
trucks require a permit, which is issued by the City Clerk. Requests must be made at least 14
days in advance of the event.
Groups wanting to use concession stands or offer food or beverages for sale will need to obtain
the appropriate permits and/or licenses from the County or State and have said permits or
licenses during the entire time of the event. A copy of the approved permit must be
submitted to the City in order to obtain keys to the concessions stand.
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K. ATHLETIC SPECIAL EVENTS
Athletic special events are activities on City property that include, but are not limited to,
tournaments, clinics, camps, or any other activity other than regular season practices, games
and evaluations.
Permits. Special events require a separate permit and should be requested outside of regular
season play permits. Permit requests for special events will be accepted from user groups
during the permit application timeframe identified in Section B of this policy.
Special Event Contact and Information. Users must have an appointed tournament
director/event manager on site, who can be contacted by City staff.
Users will supply the Parks and Recreation Department with a schedule of games. Games shall
not start before 8:00 am on any day of a tournament and may not be scheduled to start later
than 6:30pm. If users want to schedule games at different times than allowed, the user must
receive approval from the Recreation Program Coordinator.
Users must include in the application if spectators will be charged admission. Advertisement
banners or signs may not be placed at any facility without permission from the Recreation
Program Coordinator.
Special Event Fees. The City may charge application and special event use fees in order to
recover public costs to operate, maintain, repair, improve and administer the use of City fields.
For each application submitted, an application fee shall be assessed. Special Event use fees
shall be approved by the City Council and included in the City’s Fee Schedule. Use fees are
subject to change at the discretion of the City Council.
The City reserves the right to waive field use and preparation fees and concession stand fees for
“in-house” tournaments hosted by users recognized in priority group three (3). For purposes of
this provision, “in-house” shall be defined as tournament style play where games are played
between competing teams all from within the same organization. Special event fees including
field and concession fees for invitational tournaments shall be charged.
All users who receive a permit for exclusive use of a field must pay the appropriate fee per the
City fee schedule. The City will bill and payment shall be made prior to the event. Payments
can be made by cash, check or credit/debit card.
In the event of weather related cancellations by the permit holder, the permit holder will be
billed unless the permit holder contacts the Recreation Program Coordinator within two (2)
business days after a weather related cancellation to confirm a credit or to arrange
rescheduling.
Field Preparation, Maintenance and Clean-Up. Fields will not be prepped throughout the
tournament day. Maintenance staff will prep the fields before the first scheduled game(s) of
the day, if the user elects to pay the preparation fees. Users may not modify or alter City fields
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in any way. The City will not provide equipment for groups to prep fields on their own
throughout the tournament.
All users of City park field and facilities are expected to leave the area(s) in the same or better
condition than which it was found. Users will be responsible for picking up all trash at the end
of each day’s events. Users who fail to clean up may be charged by the City for excessive clean
up. It is the responsibility of the permit holder to make sure areas are cleaned up.
Facility Capacity. Users must provide the number of teams and estimated number of playing
participants. Due to space limitations regarding parking and spectator capacity, the City has
the right to decrease the number of games in order to comply with the facility’s size.
Users are responsible for maintaining management over the conduct of participants and
spectators while using fields and facilities. Tournament hosts will be responsible for traffic and
parking control and adhere to all City parking regulations. Parking is allowed only in designated
areas. No vehicles are allowed on City fields, sidewalks or paths.
Users are responsible for the coordination and rental of any additional portable restrooms
and/or hand washing stations that are needed in order to accommodate special events and
shall be coordinated in conjunction with the Recreation Program Coordinator.
L. TENNIS COURT PERMIT REQUIREMENTS
Tennis court reservations are limited to residents of Mendota Heights. Non-residents are
ineligible for reserving tennis courts.
Tennis courts may not be reserved for private lessons, group lessons, hitting groups, or any
other use of the facility by an instructor. The usage of the tennis courts under a reservation may
only be utilized for open play.
Resident groups reserving the tennis courts are eligible to reserve up to four hours maximum
within the City per week. Groups can only reserve one court at a time, the other court within
the tennis facility must remain open for non-reservation public usage.
Tennis courts within Mendota Heights will only be reserved for a maximum of six hours per day
to ensure public usage of the courts are available to all residents.
M. CITY CONTACT
All communication with the Recreation Program Coordinator must be made through the
spokesperson of the group. Athletic associations, clubs and leagues must choose one person
who will be the City’s main contact. This eliminates confusion and establishes direct, efficient
communication.
Users should report any facility damage, accidents, dangerous or unsafe conditions to:
City of Mendota Heights Recreation Program Coordinator
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Phone: 651-255-1354 (During regular business hours: Monday – Thursday 7:00 am to
4:30 pm and Friday from 7:00 am to 11:30 am)
Weekend/After Hours Phone: 651-302-3301
Email: meredithl@mendota-heights.com (Email is checked Monday-Friday during
regular business hours)
City of Mendota Heights
Field and Facility Use Fees
2022
Priority Level 3: Youth Athletic Associations
Priority Level 4: Youth Sports Clubs and Leagues
Priority Level 5: Mendota Heights Residents (Personal Use)
Priority Level 6: Mendota Heights Businesses/Commercial Organizations
Priority Level 7: Non-Mendota Heights Residents, Organizations, Businesses
APPLICATION FEE
$25.00 per Permit Request due at the time the request is submitted-non-refundable
FIELDS
User Group Soccer, Baseball, Softball,
Football, Lacrosse
Priority Level 3 $7 per player/season
Priority Level 4 $10 per player/season
Priority Level 5 $10 per hour/per field
Priority Level 6 $15 per hour/per field
Priority Level 7 $15 per hour/per field
TOURNAMENTS
All Sports/All Locations
User Group Use Fee Field Prep Fee
Priority Level 3 and 4 $50 per day/per field $35 per field/per day
(required)
Priority Level 5, 6 and 7 $50 per day/per field $35 per field/per day
(optional)
ICE RINKS
User Group Rinks
Priority Level 3 $4 per hour/per rink
Priority Level 4 $6 per hour/per rink
Priority Level 5 $4 per hour/per rink
Priority Level 6 and 7 $8 per hour/per rink