The Bremen Park Superintendent addressed the use of soccer fields with the Bremen Town Council members Monday afternoon.
Brian Main said that he’s experiencing a problem with unregistered groups using park facilities, especially the soccer fields. He said an unregistered soccer group from a neighboring community recently used Bremen’s facilities.
“They didn’t have an available field in their community and decided to play their organized, refereed game of soccer on a field that our league decided earlier in the day was too wet to play on,” said Main. “There was potential damage done to the field and our league is upset saying ‘we pay to help maintain and water these and take care of them and then this group comes in and they’re not paying tax dollars. They’re just coming in and tearing out the goal boxes when we said that it was too wet for us to play.’ We don’t really have any recourse. Aside from damages done how you can quantify that, I’m not sure.”
Main explained that local soccer leagues rent use of the fields. If they are not using them, then it is first come, first served.
He said it’s a public park, but there has to be some recourse for any damage sustained.
Town Council President Michael Leman said there should be some protection for the fields, especially if the fields are deemed unplayable.
Some sort of indication is being considered to alert residents and teams if the fields would not be playable for the day.
Main said he will be looking into different policies and review options with the park board. Any changes would come before the town council for approval.
