[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6360846,"mediaKeyId","2172702-a71682a57e86d7607566d42457341485","parentId",2172702,"title","Park Commission raises participation fees to $25, adjusts tournament and event fees; several field-use applications approved","audioSeconds",2088,"startMs",2301000,"endMs",4389000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172702-a71682a57e86d7607566d42457341485&start=2301&end=4389","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172702-a71682a57e86d7607566d42457341485/thumbnail_2301000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6360846/Massachusetts/Park-Commission-raises-participation-fees-to-25-adjusts-tournament-and-event-fees-several-field-use-applications-approved","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6360846-c9bb7e16da38fc6fae4bd0c2731ae759/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135332&Signature=HbaiVGXw8I6XoGIwQPU1E4oOksFCKZxqRJGQlxUMPyk0IL8G9FI~OUFae6lr3tbUAALbGR0vJBTFmmdxqv1XaQuP7~fsgTTtt1HXjItf~PhdJzoLImftDiOs1JqqMri~rRgAoMnSQEZg7N94rvqcyhJ-UHQ1x-oglKbbDTjgY~IzJWFBEHtqvsvwVv34mCyGQtDQM65aNib-JBwg6lMCVSjQ8fOVQhTy2xTWOYVTelIsN44AJX3LPoLAMZRGF-iJFEjjIauETZ2MO~xGXaJ9bwMJu4RYFN0OipgCHFE6qze2ApN8kD9gC3BT-YnZTEpCs7HFV7c3bjtQ-274lm0ezQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Lakeville, MA","date","2025-01-25T00:00:00Z","article","The Lakeville Park Commission voted Jan. 23 to raise several user fees and to approve updated field-use applications and event requests, including a conditional approval for an April vacation flag-football camp.

Participation fee vote: After discussion that compared a modest annual increase with larger one-time hikes, the commission rejected a motion to raise the regular-season participation fee to $30 and then approved a motion to raise the fee from $24 to $25 for the 2025 season. The roll-call during the successful motion recorded Commissioner Melissa as voting yes, Commissioner Scott as voting no, Commissioner Harry as voting yes, and the chair as voting yes; the motion carried.

Tournament and outside-group fees: Commissioners voted to raise the tournament per-player fee for in-town league tournaments from $2 to $3 and to raise the per-player fee for outside groups (non-affiliated tournaments/clinics/camps) from $10 to $12. The motion passed.

Event fees and flat-fee users: The commission raised the event per-person participation fee to $8 (from a prior baseline) and agreed to retain flat-fee arrangements for longstanding community groups (for example, FLAA and New England Beach Volleyball) at their current negotiated levels.

Field-use and application changes: Commissioners approved an updated field-time application and a separate tournament/clinic application with edits discussed at the meeting. The updates clarified that tournaments, clinics and camps are separate application categories and added an “other” schedule option for groups whose seasons cross the two listed seasonal blocks. The commission also affirmed a rule to deny future approvals to groups with outstanding bills until those accounts are settled.

Flag-football camp: The commission conditionally approved an April vacation flag-football camp proposed by Eric Stanley (April 14–17, 9 a.m.–11 a.m.). Approval is contingent on submission of the appropriate tournament/clinic/camp application, proof of insurance naming the town, and any Board of Health requirements for camps; staff will provide the organizer with the correct application and a checklist of conditions.

Why it matters: The fee changes aim to recover modest, recurring field and maintenance costs; commissioners said small per-player increases can help cover fertilizer, equipment parts and routine maintenance while spreading cost across participants. The application updates are intended to reduce confusion and ensure consistent billing, invoicing and scheduling.

Ending: The commission approved the fee schedule changes and directed staff to update web materials and application forms to reflect the new fees and the conditional requirements for event approvals.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lakeville Park Commission, 1-23-25","oneSentenceSummary","At its Jan. 23 meeting the Lakeville Park Commission voted to increase the regular-season per-player participation fee from $24 to $25, raised tournament and outside-group per-player fees, approved updates to field-use applications and granted a conditional approval for a flag-football camp.","taxTitle","Town of Lakeville, Plymouth County, Massachusetts","taxId",58187,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6360851,"Commissioners press town leaders on parks’ enterprise fund, payroll and capital options",201,681000,882000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172702-a71682a57e86d7607566d42457341485&start=681&end=882","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172702-a71682a57e86d7607566d42457341485/thumbnail_681000.jpg","/articles/6360851/Massachusetts/Commissioners-press-town-leaders-on-parks-enterprise-fund-payroll-and-capital-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6360851-2f2bce76d2e2dd50f98cb9e370e8107b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135332&Signature=FC7t-LrEkdmSZ2Y-pwKHovFeWYOxNBmVKbMmC3VmjLMlYgZUHA2FTClUUUoAZmFUGYAN1xM-lr5Rh9t8Z4XxYmdNekGRo3vmpjie4NNVRFVAp6QCSc5JcoLQZaYgtbEfWmciOGu4hBjTxV6jwyZJNDUOzvEPvv7mmlm1PiChRX8QruzMoAWo~y1Rma7GgoBoILTapp5x9D6j5W9Wdm-74nBenyptWzP4ZOzJ38lgVIvbI6Ld20Ft4fwDouyeSMwbwXUmaiIG9sKSyHzMNnFpRE0WnVdWAo4SwYVe1EbKEkHhKDSjY-rkCU6tAmFYTuKPfiS6uMM4BEwGbZysLfzVAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lakeville Park Commission asked town officials on Jan. 23 to clarify how the parks’ enterprise fund works and what changes de-enterprising would bring to day-to-day operations, payroll and capital planning.

Town Accountant Mike Dallas and Town Manager Andrew explained that the parks are a voted enterprise fund under Massachusetts law (M.G.L. c.53F½) but are not fully self-sustaining. Dallas said an enterprise fund is primarily an accounting mechanism that keeps revenue and expenses separate from the general fund and typically ranks as self-supporting through user fees — a sewer fund is a common example. He said Lakeville’s parks receive transfers from the general fund to cover operating shortfalls and capital needs.

Commissioners raised several recurring operational questions: who pays the salary when a Department of Public Works employee works exclusively for parks; whether parks can solicit donations; and how capital projects (for example, Loom Pond maintenance or restroom upgrades) would be funded. Dallas said payroll for a person who is 100% assigned to parks should be budgeted in the parks’ fund or the parks could reimburse the general fund via indirect-cost charges. He recommended that a staff member who works entirely for parks be hired and budgeted as a parks employee to avoid repetitive internal transfers. Dallas said retained earnings in the parks’ enterprise account are about $40,000 and that free cash — the town’s year-end available funds — becomes available after books close in August or September.

The commissioners also discussed de-enterprising (moving parks into the general fund). Dallas said that administrative processes would largely remain: the commission would still prepare a budget and meet with town staff during budget season, but the parks budget would be incorporated directly into the general-fund operating budget rather than being shown as a stand-alone enterprise column. He warned that whether parks remained as an enterprise fund or were de-enterprised, the parks budget could still be reduced if the town needed to make cuts. He added that borrowing for enterprise projects can be split between enterprise and general funds depending on the capital plan and approvals.

Other subjects included alternative revenue channels: revolving accounts, gift/donor accounts and “friends” groups. Dallas said some towns maintain donor funds or revolving accounts to accept contributions, but municipalities often require a formal gift account or a friends-of-parks nonprofit to solicit donations for capital projects; the commission previously was told it could not solicit brick donations directly without a designated gift account or friends group.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the current arrangements create operational complexity — from who handles weekend problems (lighting, bathrooms, on-call needs) to whether retained earnings are sufficient for foreseeable repairs. The town manager and accountant committed to additional conversations and suggested that the commission prepare capital requests (with cost estimates) for the town’s capital-expenditures process and town meeting consideration.

Ending: No formal policy change was adopted at the Jan. 23 meeting. Staff asked the commission to prepare prioritized capital requests and to consider whether to reclassify a maintenance employee as a parks employee or to formalize indirect-cost charges that reflect the employee’s time.","Town staff explained that Lakeville’s parks operate as a voted enterprise fund under M.G.L. c.53F½ but currently receive subsidies from the general fund; commissioners discussed options for de-enterprising, payroll allocation for a maintenance worker, and capital funding paths including free cash and capital-expenditure committees.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6360856,"Lakeville hears details on grant-funded EV chargers; utility to install and maintain units",612,59000,671000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172702-a71682a57e86d7607566d42457341485&start=59&end=671","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172702-a71682a57e86d7607566d42457341485/thumbnail_59000.jpg","/articles/6360856/Massachusetts/Lakeville-hears-details-on-grant-funded-EV-chargers-utility-to-install-and-maintain-units","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6360856-bfc39cb9adda3bea5da5d0beb6ebbf35/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135332&Signature=V0Sb~-rpYVjwGCxmr3zGGLisZ6UQ1B990M3UQmOhX47GQLSLnZ~yRsPQb9tzF-HV0zqQ9NafnZEInWRGa0jO7XDqWKC0xDb3px-OrFAVS~Ccx5oMi~huUtzMpYKVzFy4sCIVN9Q~4IFd4lmWnXqtWuPgpRi7FXmUu16iu4R-Z7PFK6HE6~ITfq3gObyFowR~uKsQGCfHiYLHzGfuGN7K2GYM90oNnDoOn7fYa~PxTmed~3q5MGxv5ikVjtk2DS34GapcDK8xVWoo-1IjuLO0qW5mKELVdStJcX8UUF04nzu1bLTwLQQ1iFuU~pQbQhcipaelzr~9ycMoKVUAbnEEXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Town officials and a utility representative outlined plans for grant-funded electric-vehicle (EV) chargers during the Park Commission’s Jan. 23 meeting, saying the units would be publicly available and maintained by the utility under the grant terms.

Kevin Boyle, representing Middleborough Gas & Electric, told commissioners the grant application covers two banked sites — four chargers at the park site discussed and four at town hall — arranged as two dual-station units. He said the equipment would typically be ChargePoint-branded Level 2 chargers, which the utility would install, warranty and maintain. Boyle said the chargers must remain publicly accessible under the MassEVIP grant language and that middleborough would carry insurance to cover vandalism and accidental damage.

The commissioners pressed Boyle on hours, accessibility and ownership. Boyle said the grant requires chargers be open to the public at least 12 hours per day (some grant language requires availability 24/7 but allows temporary short shutdowns for special events), and signage will mark stalls as EV parking. He said at least 5% of ports in a bank of 20 or fewer must be designated to meet accessibility/ADA requirements, though any driver may use a public charger when it is available. The utility must report operational data — sessions, charging times and revenue — to the state for three years following award; after that three-year period the equipment becomes the utility’s property and regular reporting ends.

On timing, Boyle said MassEVIP approvals are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and he is awaiting a response; once awarded the town would have 24 months from the date of award to install and commission the chargers. He said the selected park site was attractive because a three-phase service bank already sits on a nearby pole, which reduces construction complexity; changing the selected site after award would require reapplication or an update to the grant submission and could delay the project.

Why it matters: The grant plan would add public charging infrastructure intended to serve through-traffic and event visitors, not primarily residential charging. Commissioners flagged lighting, parking, and whether a police- or fire-station lot might be safer or better located; Boyle said site surveys can be performed if the commission prefers a different lot but the original Google-pin location was what was submitted for the grant.

Boyle also told the commission Volkswagen mitigation funds supply some of the available money for these installations and that MassEVIP runs alongside other state and settlement-based funding sources, so existing settlement money would be used for this specific program rather than the larger MassEVIP rounds that had been reported in the press.

Commissioners asked the town manager to confirm any final site changes before Boyle files final grant documentation. Boyle said Middleborough Gas & Electric would coordinate signage, warranty repairs (manufacturer responsibility) and insurance claims (utility responsibility) and would be the ongoing operator for the stations under the proposed arrangement.

Ending: The commission did not take a formal vote on a specific site at the Jan. 23 meeting but asked staff to circulate site options and to notify commissioners if an award and timeline are confirmed.","Middleborough Gas & Electric told the Lakeville Park Commission that a MassEVIP grant would pay for eight Level 2 chargers across two sites, the utility would own and maintain them, and the town must meet grant availability and reporting rules for three years.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Park Commission raises participation fees to $25, adjusts tournament and event fees; several field-use applications approved

Commissioners press town leaders on parks’ enterprise fund, payroll and capital options

Lakeville hears details on grant-funded EV chargers; utility to install and maintain units