Pomona Council to vote on fee schedule for play on lit fields

A proposal calling for setting a fee for using sport fields with lighting will go before the City Council Monday night.

Prior to voting on the matter the council will hold a public hearing on the topic.

The open portion of the meeting begins at 6:45 p.m. at City Hall, 505 S. Garey Ave.

The proposal calls for charging all sports groups a fee of $18 per hour to have lighting while using the city's natural turf fields and the artificial turf fields at Veterans Park west of the 71 Freeway, near Mission Boulevard, a city staff report said.

The fee will cover the cost of lighting the fields along with the maintenance of the lighting systems and the computerized system used to monitor the systems, the report said.

Members of the city administration this spring suggested setting the fee in order to offset the energy costs associated with lighting fields.

Each year the city spends about $100,000 to light its sports fields which are used for soccer, baseball, softball and football, the report said.

The suggestion was presented during budget discussions this spring.