Parks, Building & Grounds Commission Meeting — Agenda Packet

Parks, Buildings and Grounds Commission Meeting Agenda May 11, 2026 - 5:30 PM Mayor's Conference Room 3805 S. Casper Dr. AGENDA 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL; DECLARATION OF QUORUM; PUBLIC NOTICE 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. January 12, 2026 Meeting Minutes 4. NEW BUSINESS A. Recommend to Common Council to approve establishing opening and closure dates for the City of New Berlin Parks and their respective bathrooms of April 15th and October 15th, weather dependent. B. Recommend to the Common Council approval of the 2026 and 2027 Park & Athletic Field Rental Fee Structure. 5. UPDATES 6. ADJOURN Additional Information • The agenda packet, including supplemental information related to agenda items, is available online at www.NewBerlinWI.gov. Once finalized by the governing body, approved meeting minutes will also be posted online. • Agenda items may be taken out of order at the governing body's discretion. • Members, and possibly a quorum, of other municipal governmental bodies may attend this meeting to gather information. However, no action will be taken by any governmental body other than the one referenced in this notice. • Accommodations will be provided under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities. If you require assistance or appropriate aids and services, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at (262) 786-8610 with reasonable notice. Page 1 of 13 Parks, Buildings and Grounds Commission MEETING MINUTES January 12, 2026 - 5:30 PM Mayor's Conference Room 3805 S. Casper Dr. MINUTES 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Ament called the meeting to order at 5:30 PM 2. ROLL CALL; DECLARATION OF QUORUM; PUBLIC NOTICE Present: Mayor Ament, Commissioner Ferrante, Commissioner Wicihowski, Alderperson La Fever Excused: Commissioner Robert Rafel Staff Present: Deputy Director of Public Works Mike Eder 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. October 13, 2025 Meeting Minutes MOTION: Motion to Approve Motion by: Commissioner Wicihowski Second by: Commissioner Ferrante VOTE: Motion Passed 4-0 4. NEW BUSINESS A. UA-2600052 Matt Anderson on behalf of Matty's Bar and Grill - 5851 S. Sunny Slope Road - Temporary Use Approval for Matty's Bar and Grill to utilize the parking lot at the New Berlin Athletic Complex for overflow parking. MOTION: Motion to Approve Motion by: Commissioner Wicihowski Second by: Alderperson La Fever VOTE: Motion Passed 4-0 Page 2 of 13 B. Discussion and possible action to approve the prescribed burn of Lions Park Pond (South). MOTION: Motion to Approve Motion by: Commissioner Wicihowski Second by: Commissioner Ferrante VOTE: Motion Passed 4-0 5. UPDATES No updates 6. ADJOURN MOTION: Motion to Adjourn at 5:58 PM Motion by: Commissioner Wicihowski Second by: Commissioner Ferrante VOTE: Motion Passed 4-0 Respectfully Submitted, Domenico Ferrante AIA PB&G Commission Member Page 3 of 13 REQUESTED ACTION STATEMENT DATE: May 1, 2026 TO: Mayor Common Council Parks, Buildings and Grounds Commission FROM: Josh Fabian –Parks Department Supervisor ISSUE: City of New Berlin Parks Open/Close Dates REQUESTED: Recommend to Common Council to approve establishing opening and closure dates for the City of New Berlin Parks and their respective bathrooms of April 15th and October 15th, weather dependent. FISCAL IMPACT: None RATIONALE: Every year the Parks Department is tasked with opening and closing our parks and park amenities. By setting a date in both Spring and Fall, April 15th and October 15th respectively, the public is provided clear dates for scheduling purposes. These dates may be adjusted by approximately one week before or after said date, as deemed necessary based on weather by the Parks Supervisor. Page 4 of 13 1 REQUESTED ACTION STATEMENT DATE: May 5, 2026 TO: Parks, Buildings & Grounds Commission Common Council Mayor David Ament FROM: Gregory Kessler, AICP - Director of Community Development Lucas Pichler P.E. - Director of Public Works REQUESTED ACTION: Recommend to the Common Council approval of the 2026 and 2027 Park & Athletic Field Rental Fee Structure FISCAL IMPACT: Revenue generated from these fees will be directed toward field reconditioning and long- term maintenance cycle funding. The fees do not cover administrative, scheduling, or full operational overhead costs, which continue to be supported through the City’s general budget. This new strategic program and fee structure, which should be evaluated regularly, is being put into place to reduce reliance on irregular capital repair requests and supports sustainable & responsible asset management. Under this new fee structure, the “Rental Fee” component establishes a dedicated reinvestment funding stream, while the “Field Preparation Fee” recovers only daily operational preparation costs. This structure ensures users contribute to long-term field maintenance without shifting administrative or overhead costs onto participants. Background and Process Scheduling data from 2025 shows athletic fields operating at 90-95% capacity during playable days during peak months, with evenings and weekends fully programmed. Sustained multi-program use is accelerating field wear- and-tear while long-term maintenance funding has not increased proportionally. In Summary, what this Recommended Proposal Does Issues Today What This Proposal Changes Fields are used at 90-95% capacity during peak months Establishes a 7-year maintenance cycle No dedicated funding for field reinvestment Creates a segregated rehab/reinvestment fund Maintenance is reactive and irregular Moves to planned, sustainable upkeep Costs fall unpredictably on the general budget Introduces a modest, usage-based fee structure Select teams say costs are high Local teams remain eligible for Room Tax Grants and Field Allocation Prioritization Page 5 of 13 2 Stakeholder Engagement In accordance with Council direction, staff have met with the affected organizations that are significant users of City fields including Magic, Heat, Pumas, and the New Berlin Soccer Club, to discuss field use, maintenance needs, and the proposed long-term funding framework for city-owned athletic facilities. Meetings were held: • September 23, 2025, following the Common Council meeting • January 15, 2026 (Baseball/Softball Select Teams) • February 5, 2026 (Soccer Select Team) • February 26, 2026 (Soccer Select Team) • March 26, 2026 (Baseball/Softball Select Teams) • April 9, 2026 (Soccer Select Team) These discussions focused on stability, fairness, and long-term field conditions. Staff and the select teams have worked in good faith to gather input and explain the financial and operational realities of maintaining public athletic facilities and outlined the purpose and structure of the proposed fee structure. Areas of Alignment and Common Ground Through various meetings and conversations with the select team representatives, staff identified several areas of alignment that have helped refine and strengthen the proposed fee structure and long-term funding approach. Specifically, there is consensus on the following components: • Practice Fee Structure: Agreement on establishing a standard practice fee for residents and non-residents to help offset operational and maintenance impacts associated with field use. • Tournament Fee Structure: General support for maintaining a tournament-based fee structure that reflects the intensity of use and helps to ensure field preparation and maintenance costs are appropriately recovered. • Establishment of a Segregated Reinvestment Fund: Shared recognition of the need for a dedicated funding mechanism to support long-term field maintenance and reinvestment, moving away from unpredictable or one-time contributions toward a more structured and sustainable approach. Revenue from field rental fees will be reinvested back into the fields to make improvements on a regular schedule. • Long-Term Maintenance Planning: Agreement on the importance of establishing a predictable maintenance and investment cycle to ensure fields remain safe, playable, and available for all users over time. • Outcome Understanding and Shared Work: Discussions with NBSC led to a better understanding of the outcomes desired regarding turf management, which led to a refined turf treatment plan. NBSC is also willing and able to perform line painting as opposed to City labor & materials. Both of these efforts reduce the per day preparation costs. To support a sustainable and equitable reinvestment strategy, staff have evaluated the use of two complementary segregated funding streams. Contributions generated from select team field use would be directed into a dedicated reinvestment account, while a modest per-participant fee within the City’s recreation programming would support a parallel segregated account. Together, these funding sources would provide a more stable and predictable revenue stream to implement a long-term 7-year maintenance cycle. Under this approach, the city would plan to rehab those fields most heavily used by the select teams within that cycle, while also maintaining system-wide quality for all users. This approach reflects a balanced partnership between user groups and the city. Page 6 of 13 3 How Athletic Field User Fees Support Operations and Long-Term Investment The proposed athletic field fee structure consists of two distinct components serving different purposes: 1) Rental Fee • Purpose: This fee supports long-term asset reinvestment, including field maintenance and restoration, reconditioning, and equipment replacement on a 7-year reinvestment cycle. • Where the Money Goes: Revenue is deposited into a segregated athletic field account. There would also be an annual request for a City equipment replacement contribution. Annual Reinvestment Target (Ball Diamonds) Source Amount Annual Revenue from Rental Fees (anticipated) $25,000 Annual City Budget Request (Equipment Replacement) $30,000 Combined annual reinvestment target $55,000 Annual Reinvestment Target (Soccer Fields) Source Amount Annual Revenue from Rental Fees (anticipated) $20,000 Annual City Budget Request (Equipment Replacement) $10,000 Combined annual reinvestment target $30,000 Field Use vs. Funding Reality Field Use: Near full capacity Long-term reinvestment funding: Previously unstructured Result: Accelerated wear and deferred maintenance Proposal effect: Predictable funding aligned with usage 2) Field Preparation Fee (per day, per field) • Purpose: This fee covers the City’s daily operational costs associated with preparing fields for use, including staff time, dragging, lining, materials, and other routine preparation. • Where the Money Goes: These revenues support the general operating budget (time and materials) and do not fund long-term improvements. Annual Field Preparation Fees supporting the City’s Operating Budget Source Amount Ball Diamond Field Preparation Fees $40,000 Page 7 of 13 4 Soccer Field Preparation Fees $22,000 Total annual fees (anticipated) $62,000 Local Tournament Support Mechanisms New Berlin-based tournament organizations are eligible for local tourism room tax grants through Enjoy New Berlin when hosting events within the City. These funds help offset tournament operating costs and support participation. Recent Room Tax Awards to Field User Organizations Organization 2023 2024 2025 2026 Notes New Berlin Heat $2,500 $5,000 $5,000 $7,500 Baseball / softball tournaments New Berlin Magic - $3,500 - $7,500 Baseball / softball tournaments New Berlin Pumas - $2,000 - $3,750 Baseball tournament These grants are not available when events are relocated outside the city. Most communities prioritize their own recreation programs and select teams for field scheduling. Field availability outside of New Berlin would be very limited. Policy Objectives The goal of this structure is to: • Establish a usage-based fee structure • Support a seven (7) year maintenance cycle • Create a predictable reinvestment approach • Maintain affordable community recreation access • Move from reactive funding toward responsible asset management • Implement a city baseball and softball diamond condition rating system to track field condition, prioritize improvements, and guide reinvestment decisions • Adopt city of New Berlin baseball and softball field specifications to ensure consistent construction, maintenance, and safety standards across facilities All future reinvestment and maintenance planning will be guided by this field inventory condition rating system and adopted specifications to ensure objective and transparent decision making. The Seven (7) Year Maintenance Cycle The annual budgetary target of $55,000 establishes the baseline funding needed to avoid deferred maintenance and support a structured 7-year rehabilitation cycle. Funds would be used for reconditioning, equipment replacement, and improvements to meet the City’s adopted standards. Administrative and broader operating costs remain in the city’s general budget. After the seven years is up, the cycle resets itself. Fees will take effect upon approval of this Requested Action Statement by the Common Council. Fees shall be determined by the calendar year the rental occurs, not the calendar year the request is made. Page 8 of 13 5 Access & Affordability Considerations Staff recognize concerns raised about participation costs. The proposed structure was designed to keep recreation programming affordable while applying a modest, usage-based contribution toward long-term field upkeep for higher-intensity users. Future budget requests for field improvements represent the City’s share of the improvement costs and would be proportional to the City’s usage of the facilities. New Berlin based tournaments and events remain eligible for local tourism/room tax grant opportunities, which can help offset event expenses when activities generate overnight room stays. These support mechanisms are not available when events relocate outside the city. The intent of the fee structure is not to discourage participation, but to ensure that heavily used public fields remain safe and playable for all users. Scheduling Priority Framework Consistent with practices used by surrounding communities, the city prioritizes municipal recreation programming and community-wide access when allocating field time. City-sponsored programs and broadly accessible recreation activities are scheduled first to ensure equitable access for residents. Select teams, leagues, and tournaments are scheduled thereafter based on availability and field conditions. This structure helps balance broad community benefit versus heavy demand. Teams representing 80% New Berlin membership would continue to receive priority scheduling over organizations representing non-New Berlin residents. Impacts of Not Approving Fee Structure If the proposed fee structure is not approved, the city will not have a dedicated and predictable funding source to support a structured athletic field maintenance and reinvestment cycle. Without this Framework: • Field rehab remains reactive • Funding needs fluctuate year-to-year • Deferred maintenance increases long-term costs • Field quality declines • Larger one-time capital requests become more likely • Operational costs are passed along to taxpayers Approval of this structure provides a more stable and sustainable approach to managing city-owned athletic facilities and reduces the likelihood of emergency funding needs. Participation levels and the number of teams may change from year-to-year; however, establishing a structured maintenance and reinvestment program provides stability that reduces the impact of those variations. A predictable funding framework helps ensure field conditions and safety standards can be maintained even when registration numbers change. Field wear and maintenance needs are tied to usage levels. When participation declines, demand in the fields is reduced, which helps moderate investment needs. The structured funding model provides flexibility to respond to these changes while maintaining long-term stability. Rationale These facilities serve a wide range of New Berlin residents – including recreation participants, youth programs, volunteer-led organizations, and families. The proposed structure is designed to be applied consistently and equitably across all user groups based on facility use, ensuring responsibility for maintaining these public assets is shared in a balanced and proportional way. Page 9 of 13 6 These fields are not only places to play – they are shared community assets that require ongoing maintenance and care, reinvestment, and responsible stewardship. The imbalance of irregular maintenance and unpredictable funding is no longer sustainable. The proposed fee structure is not intended to limit access, nor shift full costs to users. Instead, it establishes a balanced, usage-based fee structure which will go towards field maintenance and rehab while preserving affordable community recreation programming. Administrative overhead, scheduling operations, and broader maintenance support costs will continue to be borne by the City’s general budget. Staff have worked in good faith with the user groups to explain operational realities, field maintenance needs, and long-term reinvestment requirements. The responsibility to ensure sustainable facility conditions ultimately rests with the City. Approval of this overall structure allows New Berlin to move from reactive, condition-driven maintenance towards a predictable, transparent maintenance program that benefits all users – today and into the future. Without this framework, field quality, safety, and playability will become increasingly difficult to maintain in a consistent and equitable way. This program would need to be evaluated periodically, to ensure effectiveness based upon objectives and that it continues to reflect a commitment to: 1) Responsible asset management 2) Fair and proportional user participation 3) Long-term financial predictability 4) Continued access to high-quality recreation facilities Approval of this structure positions the City in a manner consistent with community expectations while protecting future taxpayers from increasing and irregular costs. Why? Public infrastructure – particularly athletic fields that experience routine, high-frequency use throughout the year – cannot rely on voluntary or irregular funding. Facilities of this type need to operate on predictable wear cycles and require planned reinvestment to remain safe, playable, and cost-effective. When maintenance, rehab, and reinvestment are deferred due to inconsistent funding, conditions deteriorate more rapidly, leading to higher long-term repair and replacement costs for the City and its taxpayers. A structured, usage-based funding model allows the city to address needs incrementally and predictably, reducing the likelihood of large, one-time capital requests or emergency repairs. This approach is intended to stabilize costs over time, not escalate them, while preserving field quality, safety, and community access. To summarize: City of New Berlin – Athletic Field and Park Shelter Support System Structure How facilities Are Financially Supported USER RENTAL FEES (Per Game / Practice / Tournament) ➢ Long-term reinvestment: Segregated account, 7-year cycle, field rehab, turf restoration, drainage, equipment FIELD PREPARATION FEES ➢ Daily operating costs: staff time, lining, dragging, materials ROOM TAX GRANTS (Tourism Funds) Page 10 of 13 7 ➢ Tournament support tied to hotel stays and economic activity CITY GENERAL BUDGET ➢ Administration, scheduling, utilities, maintenance RESULT: Safe, playable, sustainable athletic fields & facilities with shared responsibility 2026 Park Rental Fees (per 2024 Recreation Commission Approval) (for rentals occurring in the 2026 calendar year) Baseball and Softball Diamond Fees Rental Fee (per field) Field Preparation Fee (per field) Practices $0/day - Games $0/day $110/day Tournaments $0/day $135/day Court (Basketball, Pickleball, Sand Volleyball and Tennis) Fees Rental Fee (per court) Practices $10/hour Resident $15/hour Non-Resident Disc Golf Course Rental Fee Practices & Games $25/week of league play Tournaments $250/day, plus $100 deposit Soccer Field Fees Rental Fee (per field) Field Preparation Fee (per field) Practices $0/day - Games $0/day $130/day Tournaments $0/day $155/day Picnic Area & Park Shelter Fees Rental Fee Picnic Areas (includes new picnic areas at Malone Park and Lions Park) $30/day Resident $40/day Non-Resident Small Shelters $110/day Resident $145/day Non-Resident Medium Shelters $140/day Resident $185/day Non-Resident Page 11 of 13 8 Large Shelters (upon opening of Malone Shelter #1) (includes the new enclosed park structure at Malone Park) $400/day Resident, $200 Deposit $500/day Non-Resident, $200 Deposit 2027 Park Rental Fees (for rentals occurring in the 2027 calendar year) Baseball and Softball Diamond Fees - New Berlin Heat, New Berlin Pumas and New Berlin Magic Organizations Club Rental Fee (per season) Includes the use of the following diamonds: Buena Park #1, Calhoun Park #3, Lions Park #1, Malone Park #2, Malone Park #3 Rental Fee (per field) Excludes diamonds listed under Club Rental Fee Field Preparation Fee (per field) Practices $10/hour - Games $5,100/season $45/day $115/day Tournaments $70/day $115/day Baseball and Softball Diamond Fees Rental Fee (per field) Field Preparation Fee (per field) Practices $10/hour Resident $15/hour Non-Resident - Games $45/day Resident $65/day Non-Resident $115/day Tournaments $70/day Resident $100/day Non-Resident $115/day Court (Basketball, Pickleball, Sand Volleyball and Tennis) Fees Rental Fee (per court) Practices $10/hour Resident $15/hour Non-Resident Disc Golf Course Fees Rental Fee Leagues $25/week Events (72 people max, course remains open to public) $75/day Tournaments $250/day, plus $100 deposit Page 12 of 13 9 Soccer Field Fees - New Berlin Soccer Club Organization (self-perform lining) Rental Fee (per field) Field Preparation Fee (per field) Practices $10/day - Games $10/day $50/day Tournaments $35/day $50/day Soccer Field Fees Rental Fee (per field) Field Preparation Fee (per field) Practices $10/day Resident $15/day Non-Resident - Games $10/day Resident $15/day Non-Resident $100/day Tournaments $35/day Resident $50/day Non-Resident $100/day Picnic Area & Park Shelter Fees Rental Fee Picnic Areas (includes new picnic areas at Malone Park and Lions Park) $30/day Resident $40/day Non-Resident Small Shelters (includes Buena Park Shelter #1) $110/day Resident $145/day Non-Resident Medium Shelters (includes Buena Park Shelter #2, Calhoun Park Shelter #1, Calhoun Park Shelter #2, Calhoun Park Shelter #3, City Center Plaza Pergola & Concessions Building, Lions Park Shelter #1, Lions Park Shelter #2, ProHealth Care Park Shelter #1, ProHealth Care Park Shelter #2, Valley View Park Shelter #1, and Valley View Park Shelter #2) $140/day Resident $185/day Non-Resident Large Shelters (new enclosed park structure at Malone Park with kitchen) $400/day Resident, $200 deposit $500/day Non-Resident, $200 deposit Page 13 of 13