From: Subject: Date: To:

"Olson, Jessica" <jessica.olson@everettsd.org> FW: Community Services Request February 26, 2012 4:25:44 PM PST <jessicaeverettschoolboard@gmail.com> 3 Attachments, 44.4 KB

------------------------------------------From: Cohn, Gary Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2012 4:25:42 PM To: Everett School Board Cc: Mahan, Kathy; Vanderwilt, Debbie Subject: FW: Community Services Request Auto forwarded by a Rule

Directors, you may be well aware of the intensity of demand for use of the districts fields over time. Recently, I have been made aware that several of you have been apprised of the desire by a lacrosse club to displace existing users or override the grounds crews closure of specific fields (due to saturation by rains). Please also be aware that our community service team has fielded complaints regarding the existing use of fields by the lacrosse team, and that other users from time to time make a case for displacement of competing users. Im forwarding a response to one of our field users so you have this background. Field use is a multidimensional issue, and our facilities team works diligently to follow the boards policy and district procedure in fairness to all who want use of this community resource. Dr. Gary Cohn Superintendent Everett Public Schools From: Gunn, Mike Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2012 12:12 PM To: 'brown.rsb@gmail.com' Cc: Cohn, Gary; McNally, James; Pierce, MaryHelen; Polk, Robert; Perez, Ysella; Mahan, Kathy; Vanderwilt, Debbie Subject: FW: Community Services Request Dear Mr. Brown, I have been asked by Dr. Cohn to discuss your request with various members of our staff and provide a response to you. First of all, I thank you for bringing these issues to our attention. We have a significant number of community users of our facilities, and we appreciate knowing when any of these groups may not be providing the appropriate care or maintenance of these facilities. Our staff has contacted Mill Creek Little League to review with them the procedures and expectations we have of them for this. I have attached documents describing these for your reference. The Community Services department manages extensive use of district facilities for approximately 400 community user groups each year, and much of this is for athletic field use by youth sports teams. Our community use program is based on board policy 4333, which begins with the following paragraph: The board encourages life-long learning for all citizens and will extend opportunities to the community to use district facilities through a variety of programs that contribute to the

community to use district facilities through a variety of programs that contribute to the achievement of the district's goals and objectives. The public investment in school facilities and the general welfare of the community provide strong justification for the use of school buildings and grounds by community groups for cultural, civic, and recreational purposes. This policy and the related procedure also include considerations for not interfering with school activities, preserving safety, avoiding damage to facilities, and other concerns. This facility use program is therefore focused on allowing and encouraging community use while ensuring such use is conducted appropriately and does not interfere with our programs. Over time, the implementation of this policy has evolved, in the case of Jackson HS baseball field, to allow the Mill Creek Little League to use this facility because their community does not have many active playfield facilities besides ours, and they have no other adequate baseball facilities providing the 90 foot base paths needed for their older players. Mill Creek Little League has used the Jackson HS baseball facility since the school opened, and this arrangement has benefitted many youth of this community for over 17 years. We plan to continue to allow Mill Creek Little League and other groups to use the Jackson HS baseball facility, and will step up our oversight of this use to ensure they are in compliance with our policy and procedures and care for this facility appropriately. One of the actions we have decided to implement will be to close this facility to all outside user groups when it is closed by our own staff to our own activities due to poor field conditions and high risk of damage to the facility. Thank you again for expressing your concerns and suggestions, Sincerely, Mike Gun Executive Director, Facilities & Operations Everett Public Schools

From: Cohn, Gary Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2012 8:57 AM To: 'Rob Brown' Cc: McNally, James; Gunn, Mike; Pierce, MaryHelen; Polk, Robert; Perez, Ysella; Mahan, Kathy; Vanderwilt, Debbie Subject: RE: Community Services Request Mr. Brown, Ive received your email and attachment and will review your request. A team of staff who have worked with both our fields and our community groups on matters of this nature are meeting tomorrow to analyze your request, and others that have come in to us recently. I expect well be able to respond next week after some deeper study of the question youve raised. Thank you. Dr. Gary Cohn Superintendent

From: Rob Brown [mailto:brown.rsb@gmail.com] Sent: Wed 2/15/2012 12:57 PM

To: Superintendent Subject: Community Services Request

Dear Dr. Cohn, My name is Rob Brown, I am a parent of a Jackson High School student - I am writing you to discuss a request I had of the Everett School District regarding the community use of the Jackson High School baseball field during the high school season. I have included the email dialogue that I had with Community Services Supervisor Ysella Perez; copied on the emails were Robert Polk, Don Lichty, MaryHelen Pierce, and Shanai Cole. The purpose of including you in on the conversation is that I have not received a satisfactory response, and I have not received a response to my last two emails. The latest response I did get from Ysella leads me to believe she is uninformed of what fields I am referring (e.g., dont allow community access to fields that dont host district events, and allow community use on fields that do host district events). I ask that you read the email dialogue below, and based on the facts that I have provided, and by following the District Policy listed below, I think you would agree that my request is a reasonable and valid one.
Policy 4333 states All athletic fields should be available for community use after hours unless bad weather or high impact activities pose substantial risk or damage to the field, or maintenance activities are required.

I believe that the safety of the student-athlete is in question and would request the District to address this concern. Thank you for your time and attention to this request. Rob Brown

Everett Public Schools

Daily Field Maintenance Checklist
4730 Colby Avenue, Everett, WA 98203 ! (425) 385-4045 ! (425) 385-4012 fax

Daily Routine before Practice: _____ Check for damage/safety concerns in dug outs, field and bleacher areas to ensure the safety of participants _____ Remove tarps _____ Install the bases Daily Routine after Practice and Games: _____ Drag or rake the skinned areas and baselines

_____ Check for damage/safety concerns in dug outs, field and bleacher areas to ensure the safety of participants _____ Remove tarps _____ Install the bases Daily Routine after Practice and Games: _____ Drag or rake the skinned areas and baselines _____ Do NOT sweep water from the field into the grass as it causes a lip to develop and the potential of injury to players or side line coaches _____ Rollers or a wet vacuum should be used _____ Recondition the mound and home plate area and cover areas with tarps (follow district maintenance guidelines) _____ Dispose of trash in and around field and bleacher areas _____ Sweep and clean dugouts _____ Place tarps down

By being good stewards of the fields will ensure that district and community will be able to utilize them during the spring season.

Everett Public Schools

Field User Season Opener Checklist
4730 Colby Avenue, Everett, WA 98203 ! (425) 385-4045 ! (425) 385-4012

Date: Initials Task Equipment/Storage container has been placed on the premises and is secured with a lock and is labeled with group name and contact number. To prohibit unauthorized use as well as allow contact in case of damage/concerns and to ensure safety of students and other facility users. Playing surfaces and base-paths have been leveled for the safety of our student/athletes. A trash receptacle, with a lid, has been, or is currently, in place on the premises, and is secured to a fence, which will be emptied by each user group by week end, and or after high volume use, such as games.
Home team responsible for hauling trash off site.

All litter surrounding playing fields and parking lots has been picked up. ______ Portable restrooms have been placed on the premises in accordance with the head custodian, as to where the restrooms should be placed. The portable has been labeled with group name and contact number. A key has also been provided to

unauthorized use as well as allow contact in case of damage/concerns and to ensure safety of students and other facility users. Playing surfaces and base-paths have been leveled for the safety of our student/athletes. A trash receptacle, with a lid, has been, or is currently, in place on the premises, and is secured to a fence, which will be emptied by each user group by week end, and or after high volume use, such as games.
Home team responsible for hauling trash off site.

All litter surrounding playing fields and parking lots has been picked up. ______ Portable restrooms have been placed on the premises in accordance with the head custodian, as to where the restrooms should be placed. The portable has been labeled with group name and contact number. A key has also been provided to either the head custodian, or head office secretary.
A spare key has been given to the head custodian, or head secretary.

Additional Comments ___________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Organization Organization President Contact Person/Coach Address City, State Zip Day & Evening Phone _______________ Field/Facility Used

Everett Public Schools

Field User End-of-Season Checklist
4730 Colby Avenue, Everett, WA 98203 ! (425) 385-4045 ! (425) 385-4012 fax

Date: Initials Task User group equipment has been removed from playing fields Equipment has been locked up to prohibit unauthorized use and to ensure safety of students and other facility users All holes or mounds on/or adjacent to playing surfaces, and base-paths have been filled/leveled All trash receptacles placed by user group have been emptied and/or removed All litter surrounding playing fields and parking lots has been picked up Portable restrooms have been removed from site Additional Comments

Organization

Field/Facility Used

All trash receptacles placed by user group have been emptied and/or removed All litter surrounding playing fields and parking lots has been picked up Portable restrooms have been removed from site Additional Comments

Organization Organization President Contact Person/Coach Address

Field/Facility Used

Day & Evening Phone City, State Zip