Groups battle over lighted fields

Athletic field use questions will resurface at Costa Mesa’s parks commission meeting tonight, when commissioners will discuss whether to change some language in the city policy.

Who gets to use the small supply of lighted fields, and when, has been a contentious issue for years. The city’s field-use policy has been revised five times since it was adopted in 1996.

Tonight the commission will go for round six. On the table are how athletic groups are classified based on the number of city residents they have and how available playing time is divvied up among the groups.

Currently, sports groups with at least 90% Costa Mesa residents get top priority for field time. Two groups, AYSO Region 97 and Newport Harbor Baseball, are “grandfathered” in to that top group although less than 90% of their players live in the city.

Proposed changes would widen the category so that AYSO Region 97, Newport Harbor Baseball and other groups that belong to some regional or national organizations could apply for preferred status for field time.

AYSO 97 officials support the change, but they may hear objections from AYSO Region 120, which includes more Costa Mesa residents.

If the commission approves the change, commissioner Mike Brumbaugh said, “Now you’re opening it up to people that have less Costa Mesa residents than AYSO 120 and they’re going to get equal playing time.”

There’s also been discussion of changing the formula used to divide up field time, and that may not sit well with some sports groups. Permanent lights are being installed on two more fields at the Farm Sport Complex, so that will help ease the shortage but won’t erase it.

The parks commission meets tonight at 6:30 p.m. at 77 Fair Drive.