Field fee

plan sent

back to

park panel

NUACS, District 88 say plan would add to their costs

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- The City Council sent the controversial field reservation fee back to the Park and Recreation Commission for further review and authorized the sale of $1,605,000 in general obligation refunding bonds at its Tuesday meeting.

The council returned the field fees segment of the Park and Rec's 2003 fee schedule so the commission could address complaints by District 88 and New Ulm Area Catholic Schools about having to pay $10 for reserving fields for practice.

NUACS Superintendent Bill Moeller and Athletic Director John Vetter had written the council asking councilors to vote no on the reservation fee because it would add about $2,000 to their athletic budget. In a letter, District 88 Superintendent Harold Remme said the fee would cost the district between $800 and $1,000 a year.

Vetter, who is a member of the Park and Recreation Commission, told the council that he had surveyed the rest of the schools in the Tomahawk Conference and other area schools "and none of them pay for using" practice fields.

"We have no criticism of the Park and Rec Department," Vetter said. "If there are problems, we need to work them out. Nobody ever told me that there was a problem."

Vetter was referring to Park and Rec staff comments that school teams were bumping others off the practice fields that were being used on a first-come, first-served basis.

Moeller told the council he had surveyed each of the NUACS coaches and only one said he had asked anyone to leave the field, "and that was only twice in 22 years of coaching."

Councilor Joel Albrecht sought to resolve the problem by offering a motion to allow the schools to reserve their entire practice schedule with the payment of a $10 fee.

However, Councilor Clark Tuttle, who sits on the Park and Recreation Commission, called it a "slap in the face to the commission."

Council President Dan Beranek shot back, "It's not a slap in the face, and you should know that."

Later, Beranek amplified by saying, "None of this should be considered a slap in the face of the commission. The Parks and Recreation Commission has one of the toughest jobs in the city. It's a tough job, and you can't please everyone."

Bond Sale

On the advice of its bonding consultant, Public Financial Management, the council approved the bond sale for the advance refunding of the general obligation improvement bonds, Series 1995A and 1995B. City Clerk-Treasurer Gary Gleisner said the city can realize a savings of $56,457 over the life of the bonds by doing the refunding now.

The council also approved the city's 2003 schedule of licenses, permits, fees and miscellaneous charges. There were relatively few increases, and those were in keeping with inflation, Gleisner said.

The council directed the city attorney to draft an ordinance which for the first time would incorporate most all fees and licenses into one ordinance.

In anticipation of renting the city's new facilities for weddings and other private events, an ordinance is being changed to allow individuals to contract with a liquor license holder for serving alcoholic beverages at such functions. At the current time, only for-profit and non-profit corporations can do that.