Officials Will Negotiate Fees With Some Facility Users

District officials say that they will negotiate with the town’s larger community groups regarding their use of district-owned facilities.

Superintendent Ray Gonzalez said that the “ will only move forward with the policy, as it relates to larger user groups, once it has had the opportunity to meet face-to-face with these groups.”

Fees for the larger user groups, including the , the Police Athletic League (PAL), and little league, will be negotiated and included in the contracts between these organizations and the district.

Gonzalez said in a statement that the new policy replaces an already-existing policy the district has in place. The fees included in the new policy are approximately 40 percent less than the fees on the prior schedule.

The board last month. 

“This is nothing new,” Gonzalez said, noting that it was the board’s intent from the beginning was to explore “mutually beneficial and creative partnerships” with community-based users of school facilities.

“Negotiations are expected, for the benefit of the district and various organizations, to keep services moving,” Gonzalez said.

John Lynch, chief professional officer of the Boys & Girls Club, said that had the current policy been in place last year, the organization would have needed to pay the district $410,000. Lynch called the policy “outrageous.”

Gonzalez said, “comments that the board of education would charge town-based user groups hundreds of thousands of dollars to use fields and facilities “are simply false.”

The board will re-evaluate the fee schedule in 2014.

The policy groups various local organizations into different classes. Each class will be charged depending on the venue they want to use and exact room or athletic field at each venue.

Class one organizations include school classes, extra-curricular clubs, including booster clubs, and the Parent Teacher Organization. They will not be charged, except for a $45 custodial fee in certain cases.

Class two organizations include municipal government entities or communty groups formed for charitale, civic, social, or educational organizations, and organizations indirectly related to hte schools, including the Boys & Girls Club, the PAL, and the little league.

Class three organizations include private groups and organizations. 

A copy of the policy has been attached to this article.

The recommended fee schedule is as follows:

Fees are based on a four-hour use.

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