In an effort to improve the playability of the Fort Borst Park’s Stevens and Pioneer soccer fields for young local athletes, the City of Centralia and local nonprofit Centralia Youth Soccer (CYS) have entered into a memorandum of understanding for the care and maintenance of the grass fields over the next two years.
The memorandum of understanding was approved by the Centralia City Council in its consent agenda during the council’s Tuesday, March 11, meeting.
According to the memorandum, CYS will have priority use of the Stevens and Pioneer fields for soccer practices and games during spring and fall through 2026 provided it splits the cost — up to $8,000 per year — of sanding, seeding and aerating the fields during the summer seasons with the city, among other stipulations.
The City of Centralia will be responsible for mowing the fields and maintaining the well and irrigation system for them, along with paying utilities bills related to field maintenance. While the city and CYS are splitting the cost of sanding, seeding and aerating, per the memorandum the city will provide up to $8,500 per year.
While some of the baseball and softball fields at Fort Borst Park now have artificial turf following completion of the joint turfing project earlier this year, turfing the soccer fields was not viable at the time, according to city officials.
Given the proximity of Stevens and Pioneer fields to the Chehalis River at Borst Park’s southern end, the fields were going to be much more difficult to turf and protect from flooding.
In addition to splitting the cost with the city, CYS will also be responsible for keeping the fields in good repair, maintaining and running the soccer fields’ concession stand, providing insurance for using city facilities and not subletting or transferring concession stand operations to any other individual, group or organization.
CYS must also abide by the city’s parks and recreation field use operational policies, the city’s athletic field use supplement and by all terms and conditions listed in the city’s facility use agreement.
The memorandum of understanding expires on Dec. 31, 2026.
At an open house celebration on Friday, March 14, marking the completion of the baseball and softball fields turfing project, Centralia Deputy City Manager and Parks Director Amy Buckler told The Chronicle city staff are currently getting quotes for the sanding, seeding and aerating of the soccer fields this summer.
“It’s a start. It’s kind of a short-term plan, and we’re going to continue to work with them to help facilitate that growing sport in Centralia,” Buckler said.
For more information on the memorandum of understanding, visit https://tinyurl.com/4ma4muvb.
