HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 7170 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7170
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council y
:d�Vo February 3, 1987
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P'Exo')�- Subject; ADJUSTMENT OF SOFTBALL FEES
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The City of Fort Worth through the Athletic Division of the Park and
Recreation Department provides Softball league play for teams that sign
up and pay a fee to the City. The Athletic Division will register teams,
assign them to different leagues, and draw up the playing schedule. For
the fee, the City provides lighted ball fields for the games, two umpires,
and a score keeper. Trophies are also awarded to the individual players
of the winning teams.
Prior to the 1986 playing season, most of the games were played at the
Sycamore Park softball fields. In the Spring of 1986, the ball field
complex at Gateway Park was opened and the majority of the games were
played there. Gateway Park has six ballfields and is located about a
mile and a half from Arc Park, a private softball complex. Gateway and
Arc Park together gives the Fort Worth community one of the largest number
of quality softball fields in close proximity to each other in the country.
The softball fees, as other user fees are adjusted periodically and it
is proposed that an adjustment in the softball fees be considered this
year. Last year the fees for a team to play in the 12 game Spring League
E� was $290 for the season or $24.17 per game. The Fall League was 8 games
and the fee was $175 for the season or $21 .88 per game. The Park and
Recreation Department has recommended that the new fees be set at $27.50
per game and that both the Spring and- Fall Leagues play a 10 game season.
This recommendation will place Fort Worth near the top of the range of
what is being charged by other cities in the area. The fees charged by
other Cities are as follows:
CITY NUMBER OF GAMES AND FEES EACH GAME
Euless 12-15 games at $275 $22.92 - 18.34
Dallas 10 games at $195 $19.50
Ere-e-jNrd 14 games at $275 $19.65
Hurst'- 14 games at $300 $21 .43
Benbrook 12 games at $275 $22.92
N. Richland Hills 12 games at $300 $24.17
White Settlement 12 games at $300 $25.00
Arlington 10 games at $225 $25.50
Irving 10 games at $275 $27.50
Grand Prairie 10 games at $285 $28.50
The City Manager's Office has been informed that Arc Park charges a fee
of $400 for their 10 game season or $40 per game.
David M. Griffith (DMG) and Associate, Ltd. , was retained by the City
to determine the cost associated with specific services. Although DMG
has not determined the actual cost of the softball program, they have
identified the cost of the Athletic Division. During FY 1985-86, the
3SUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
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NFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7170 (12a4e- 2)
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f 0 R,-f" To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
Subject: Adjustment of Softball Fees
total cost (both direct and indirect) assigned to the Athletic Division
was $776,102 and received $255,000 in revenues, the division enrolled
762 teams in FY 1984-85 to play in various aports with the majority, 89%,
being softball teams. DMG divided the total expenditures ($776,102) and
revenues ($255,000) by the number teams to determine the average cost
and revenue per team. Using this methodology the average cost per team
was $1 ,019 and the average revenue per team was $335. A difference of
$684 per team or a 67.14% subsidy.
It should be noted that the DMG study did not take into account nor did
the study assign a cost to other programs implemented by the Athletic
Division such as youth programs, Turkey Trot, Senior Citizens Olympics,
Regional Cerebral Palsy Games, State Volleyball Tournaments, Mayfest,
Library's State Fun Run and other activities. If these programs had been
assigned a cost by DMG, the average cost per team would have been reduced.
In doing so, the amount of subsidy would have also been reduced. Without
actual figures, staff can not determine what is the subsidy for softball
teams, other than we know it is less than the 67% included in the DMG
oPh, study.
Considering the above listed information the City Manager's Office
recommends that the user fee for softball teams to be set at $30 per game
or $300 for a 10 game season. Softball teams average 15 players per team,
therefore the proposed rate per team, would equal to $2 per player per
game. Each additional $.50 increase per player per game would result
in a $7.50 per game and a $75.00 per season revenue increase.
An M&C on the recommended user fee adjustment for softball will be placed
on the agenda for the February 10,1987, City Council meeting.
If the City Council desires additional information on this subject, it
will be provided upon request.
Douglas HamA
City Manager
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SUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS