DEPARTMENT: Parks & Recreation
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Xavier D. Urrutia
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: District 4
SUBJECT:
License Agreement with SPORTi at Pearsall Park
SUMMARY:
This Ordinance authorizes the negotiation and execution of a license agreement with SPORTi for soccer fields at Pearsall Park located in Council District 4 for a term of three (3) years with two one-year (1) renewals; no City funds are associated with this action.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Pearsall Park was dedicated as parkland in 1999 and sits upon a former landfill. Since then through land acquisitions, the park has grown to 500 acres and is currently under construction as part of the voter approved 2012 Bond. Through the Bond, $7.5 million was appropriated for improvements to Pearsall Park consistent with the park’s master plan and input from the community which includes amenities such as Family Fun and Fitness Challenge Zones, pavilions, a new playground facility, splash-pad, and skate-park. This transformation of Pearsall Park into the next regional destination will be complete in the Summer of 2016.
Concurrent to implementation of the Pearsall Park 2012 Bond project, the City was contacted by the Free Trade Alliance on behalf of a member in their International Business Development Center, SPORTi, a for profit company. SPORTi has a soccer model whose mission is one of social responsibility to educate people in sports as a habit for the integral development of families in a safe, healthy, and fun environment. SPORTi submitted a development concept to the Parks and Recreation Department focused on the use of existing soccer fields at the park since improvements to these amenities were not being addressed through the 2012 Bond. At no cost to the City, the concept plan will add lighting and irrigation improvements to the soccer fields and other onsite amenities such as spectator seating in order to program and activate this immediate area of the park. Proposed programming by SPORTi will serve males and females, youth and adults, and special needs participants on a weekly basis.
The proposed agreement with SPORTi will license the existing soccer fields allowing for the improvements and programming of the premises. SPORTi will be solely responsible for all operational, maintenance, and improvement costs of the premises, which will be available to the public when not in use by SPORTi for its own activities.
ISSUE:
The Parks and Recreation Department received a concept plan to develop and program the existing soccer fields at Pearsall Park and subsequently issued a notice informing the public of a proposal provided to the Department for development of these sports fields without subsidy by the City. The public notice closed on November 6, 2015, and no responses were received by the Department. SPORTi’s development concept to improve and activate the existing soccer fields at the park was evaluated by the Department and determined to provide public benefit through further improvements and enhanced service delivery at Pearsall Park without any monetary assistance from the City.
ALTERNATIVES:
The City could elect not to approve the negotiation and execution of a license agreement with SPORTi and allow the soccer fields to remain in their existing state; thus, foregoing the opportunity to improve and program these park amenities at no cost to the City. The City could also elect to identify funds for improvements and activation of the parkland in the future.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This action has no General Fund impact and as part of the license agreement SPORTi has full responsibility for improvement and operational costs of the premises including maintenance resulting in cost avoidance to the City such as mowing services.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval for the negotiation and execution of a license agreement with SPORTi for soccer fields at Pearsall Park located in Council District 4 for a term of three (3) years with two one-year (1) renewals; no City funds are associated with this action.