The Emporia Recreation Commission likely will be working on a new operating agreement after problems have arisen with schedules at the Trusler sports complex.
ERC director Tom McEvoy told board members Monday that he, Assistant City Manager Matt McAnarney and Emporia State Athletic Director Kent Weiser will be meeting to discuss some conflicts. Currently, the only agreements in place are between ESU and the city of Emporia.
Under that agreement, once the Emporia State softball and baseball seasons conclude, the complex — which was built for the college programs — is turned over to the city for the summer. The city, in turn, asks the recreation commission to maintain the property and take charge of scheduling and using the complex for the summer. McEvoy characterized the city-rec understanding as a “handshake agreement.”
The Lee Beran Recreation Center staff schedules adult co-ed softball and some youth leagues on the fields. But problems have arisen when teams not connected to the rec organization show up to practice on the field once it’s been prepped for evening games, McEvoy explained, as well as ESU coaches holding summer camps without the ERC knowing they’re scheduled.
“Lots of private entities are continuing to use the fields through ESU,” McEvoy told the board. “We’re not notified of those things.”
Besides being annoying — having fields prepped that then need to be re-prepped after an unexpected practice — the conflicts can lead to a dangerous situation.
Last week, McEvoy said, ERC staff were directed to lock the complex in advance of an approaching storm that caused tornado sirens to sound. But staff was unaware that a local team was in the complex because no one connected with the team had parked in the parking lot. Rather, they had parked on the east side of the complex out of sight.
“We locked a team in there,” McEvoy said.
And, noted board member Jim Markowitz, the rec commission might be liable if someone unconnected with rec programs is injured while using the complex during the summer.
Other issues board members had with the situation as they discussed it Monday included who pays for expenses when the complex is used for non-rec center purposes. Right now, those expenses — maintenance, lights, for example — come from the rec commission budget.
“The university shouldn’t be saying, ‘Hey, go use it,’” explained board president Roger Hartsook, “because we have it for the summer.”
Added board member and city commissioner Kevin Nelson, “It goes to show the need for some sort of new facilities in this town. It’s great that numbers are going up ... Emporians need a place to play.”
Also in his report, McEvoy told board members that participation numbers are slightly down at the rec center, but that use is up at the Jones Aquatic Center. So far, he said, the aquatic center has had four half-days caused by rain and only one full day lost to weather.
The complex also has added a water volleyball feature after staff discovered the unused equipment in storage and installed it.
“It’s played with every day,” McEvoy said.
Unfortunately, it causes problems with practices for the Emporia Aquatic Club, but McEvoy said a compromise is being worked out where the net can be moved out of the way, but the equipment will remain in the pool. It will, however, need to be removed completely for the club’s swim meet in July.