a user fee for the park is right on. we aren't sure of who is using mountain view's facilities....resident or non-resident. one dollar per hour seems very reasonable, for anyone.

No! It is not "right on". Where's my property tax money going towards? Pay-to-play is territorial and intrusive. To recommend paying for right to use the facilities conjures up a distaste for sports and recreation, sends the wrong message to families already stung by tight budgets and discourages outdoor activity in a time when obesity rages as an epidemic. Its a shame to read that in a city hosting world class companies and flanked by renowned universities, city staffers need to pawn off a buck or two per hour from kids and city residents to keep city recreational facilities operational. City staffers should take a pay cut like the rest of us or face the prospect of being outsourced. An H1B Visa city staffer would certainly help defray the costs.

No! It is not "right on". Where's my property tax money going towards? Pay-to-play is territorial and intrusive. To recommend paying for right to use the facilities conjures up a distaste for sports and recreation, sends the wrong message to families already stung by tight budgets and discourages outdoor activity in a time when obesity rages as an epidemic. Its a shame to read that in a city hosting world class companies and flanked by renowned universities, city staffers need to pawn off a buck or two per hour from kids and city residents to keep city recreational facilities operational. City staffers should take a pay cut like the rest of us or face the prospect of being outsourced. An H1B Visa city staffer would certainly help defray the costs.

If we don't pay, the children don't play?????????

Is Mountain View that cheap?

Think of all the allowance money the city can collect from our young citizens!

Are you sure these figures are accurate?!

I think that many opponents may be a bit in the dark as to current field usage around town. There are a lot of "club teams"-- essentially more advanced, more competetive year-round teams. I dont mean to imply that there is anything wrong with these leagues (quite the opposite, frankly), but kids in these leagues do pay substantial fees, and their parents often are hiring private coaches for their kids. A lot of these kids are coming from surrounding towns.

There are also adult leagues. A lot of them.

So, the wear and tear on the fields is not just AYSO, Bobby Sox, etc. Frankly, the high-level leagues make things tough for the "recreational" leagues as far as finding adequate playing space, not to mention for kids that just want to play in the park (impossible to just go toss a football with Dad on any chunk of green space in town on a fall Saturday).

Based on all this, a nominal fee for field usage is quite reasonable.

Yes they should be free. Charging a fee to use a playing field is just ridiculous. Kids should not have to pay money to play a sport. And the parents should not be charged anything either. What is this society coming to. Even during the great depression. nobody had that stupid thought. Whoever came up with this idea is an idiot.

Think smart, not stupid.

What's next? Will the City start to charge for use of Cuesta Park? Will jogger and bike riders at Shoreline Park have to pay a fee? Let the kids play! The Little Leagues signs say that they have been in the city for over 50 years. They have never had to pay for field space. Why start now?

What's next? Will the City start to charge for use of Cuesta Park? Will jogger and bike riders at Shoreline Park have to pay a fee? Let the kids play! The Little Leagues signs say that they have been in the city for over 50 years. They have never had to pay for field space. Why start now?

Yes, Little League baseball has been in Mountain View since 1957 and they generally take good care of the fields they use. The league fees this year range from $110 to $175 per child, depending on their division, so families are already paying a considerable sum for their kids to play. The league does knock $25 off this price for registrations that come in before Dec 31st, which helps.