JAY – After voters last month approved leasing land near the Androscoggin River, known locally as the French Falls Recreation Area, town officials have started to formulate a use policy that includes an insurance provision for organized groups using the area.
About a half dozen players in the men’s slow pitch softball league attended the selectboard meeting on Monday to question the need for insurance as a requirement to use the rec area’s ball field.
Now owned by the Androscoggin Land Trust, the 10 acres of open field and associated parking amenities at French Falls, includes a ball field, picnic tables and an ice skating rink. The trust acquired the parcel from Verso last fall.
The lease, at no cost to the town, hasn’t been signed into agreement yet as attorneys continue their review of it. The property is to be maintained by the town, which will be a part of the agreement.
Decisions to consider for inclusion in the town’s use policy may include a priority of use for groups and organizations, such as the schools, local little league teams, softball team, non-profits and family reunions, said Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere.
“Should it be first come, first serve basis,” she asked those attending. Also to be included, according to the Maine Municipal Association, is the requirement that organizations, such as the local little league team league and men’s softball league, provide proof of insurance in order to play on the recreational area’s ball field, she said.
“Our insurance company, MMA, requires (event) organizers to show proof of insurance to use the facilities,” LaFreniere said. The players responded by saying they don’t want to be paying extra money and asked if they could sign a waiver instead.
“We can’t waive our liability,” LaFreniere said. Other players argued having to pay for insurance was a pay to play policy. Others noted there are 10 teams expected in the league this season in a league that has been playing there on Sundays for 30 years. The games are set to start in mid-June. They noted that the ball field at the rec area meets the softball league’s size requirements, unlike a regulation baseball fields.
“We’re trying to meet the requirements of our insurance,” LaFreniere said and added she has contacted other towns and was informed that the requirement of insurance is universal for ball teams such as AYS little league teams.
The use policy discussion will be picked up again at the selectboard’s next meeting 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26.
This is dumb… just let us use it… i really don’t see the need of insurance. We get hurt we get hurt. we are out there playing a game where injuries happen..