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that it made sense and they would look into the rationale for a proposed change. <br />Please share the reasons for this proposed change. At a minimum, we should <br />have access to these fields for the entire month of November, based upon the <br />city’s definition of our traditional season being through the entire month of <br />November. We respectfully request the phased approach through mid December <br />continue. For Val Vista, we request that instead of being closed early November <br />through early February, the closure dates better align with our higher volume <br />game periods and be closed late November through late Feb. This would allow for <br />the same closure period/maintenance timeline. <br /> <br />A: The closure schedule in the handbook provides a framework to help groups <br />schedule league games appropriately, as well as assist Parks in scheduling <br />equipment, staffing, and product to maximize offseason work. In years past we <br />have staggered the field closures, primarily at Sports Park. This past fall 2023, we <br />worked with Parks to stagger closures at the Sports Park and allow for completion <br />of BUSC and RAGE seasons. In the event of rain, staff will continue to work with <br />groups to best accommodate field needs. The Parks Division does not have a <br />problem with continuing this practice based on field conditions, but closures for <br />maintenance will take precedence over league schedules. <br /> <br />We also have to consider Opening Days for baseball and softball in spring, falling <br />on the first Saturday of March. We must open fields for this event, and therefore <br />need sufficient closure time for recovery and repair to do so. We also stagger <br />spring opening dates to provide practice time for both groups before Opening Day. <br /> <br />Regarding Val Vista, trying to get grass seed to germinate and grow during the <br />coldest winter months proves difficult and could delay field opening into early to <br />mid-March. The additional wear on the fields during November, at the end of the <br />season when the fields are already in decline from the season, may be more <br />difficult to recover from and delay the reopening. Parks staff is open to a change of <br />the closure period next year on a trial basis, but will need to vet all possible <br />effects. <br /> <br />7. Q: Tents/canopies: It was added in that stakes are prohibited at all parks. This has <br />never been the case, but rather that we are responsible for picking up our stakes <br />after use of tents/canopies. Based on the sheer number of tents required for our <br />games (often 3-4 per field), any other means of safely securing these tents is <br />prohibitive. We must be able to continue to use these for safety purposes. <br /> <br />A: Stakes are not allowed on artificial turf. For grass, Parks would prefer small <br />stakes, if any. We have also had issues with mowers hitting stakes. They damage <br />mower blades and can eject the stake when the mower hits them. Although rare, <br />long stakes can puncture irrigation lines. Canopy weights are common for areas <br />where stakes cannot be used, including artificial turf and pool decks. We will adjust <br />to the handbook language to reflect this. We will bring any issues resulting from <br />stakes left in the grass to the attention of the leagues.