Baseball association thrown curveball
An $80,000 bill for ball field usage didn't slide past the Mars Baseball Association during Tuesday night's Mars Area School Board meeting.
Several people voiced their surprise at the amount, which the school district billed to the community association last week.
Representing the association, Todd Wearing said the amount was shocking.
“When I got a bill last Friday for $80,000, I almost fell out of my chair,” Wearing said. “Never once have I been informed of that kind of bill.”
John Kennedy, school board president, said the association was approved in March to use district-owned Adams 1 and Adams 2 fields, located by the district administration building along Route 228.
Scott Heinauer, district athletic director, said the board put field fees in place two years ago that affected the association.
The fees were waived for the association the first year, according to Heinauer.
“They complained that they didn't know about this charge,” Heinauer said.
Those fees were also not applied last year because the pandemic prevented the association from playing on the fields.
“Now, that agreement is in place,” Heinauer said.
The district charges per hour for facility use. Fees depend on the organization classification and use. The association is charged for time reserved for practice, games and tournaments for spring and summer use.
Wearing disputed the board's statement that the association was aware costs were going to be applied.“I have been on the (association) board for three years,” Wearing said. “In no way, shape or form was I ever informed of any charge to Mars Baseball to use the school facilities.”Wearing said over the past decade and a half, the association has put “thousands upon thousands of dollars” into dirt and dugout maintenance at Adams 1 and 2 fields and the high school ball field.In addition, Wearing said the association has a history of supplying dumpsters at Adams 1 and 2 fields.Association members also have volunteered their time for field maintenance and team management, according to Wearing.“The man hours that have gone into upkeeping and time and effort spent with these fields has been a lot for this volunteer organization,” Wearing said.Wearing noted he also runs youth wrestling within the district. For that sport, he said he was informed indoor facility fees would increase.However, Wearing said he didn't know about any changes in usage costs for baseball.He said paying the $80,000 would negatively affect the association's roughly 500 people.“We would cut our organization in half if we had to pay that,” Wearing said. “There would be so many families not paying (more) to play a youth sport.”Heinauer said the association, like other youth sports groups using district facilities, requests time for games and tournaments. If the fields aren't in use by district teams, community teams have access.“They requested time,” Heinauer said. “As long as we're not on there, time is OK.”A few school board members expressed their concern about the $80,000 bill.“A youth organization that's run by volunteers ... went from paying $0 to use fields at the Mars Area School District to $80,000?” asked Megan Lenz, a school board member.Dayle Ferguson, another board member, explained the decision to establish field fees was made two years ago after an analysis compared facility fees at Mars Area to other districts.“We increased our fees to be in line with other, surrounding areas,” Ferguson said. “I don't remember it being anything more than that.”Still, Ferguson said while she believes the association was aware of the pending fees, the bill should be addressed.“I think that's an outrageous bill,” Ferguson said. “I think there needs to be a conversation.”The board said some of the problem might arise from the association reserving more time than it actually uses.“I think a conversation with the administration to understand that (is important),” Ferguson said.Kennedy suggested that Wearing contact Heinauer and Superintendent Mark Gross to resolve the bill.
