By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – An official for the Slidell Youth Soccer Club (SYSC) was grilled by a city councilman and a member of the public at the recent City Council meeting after some criticism was directed at the local club for using city-owned soccer fields to charge $10 for parking at the recent Crawfish Cookoff, held at Fritchie Park.
However, the president for the SYSC explained that the city-leased fields need oversight for the thousands of people who come to the Crawfish Cookoff, and the parking arrangement operated by the club has actually protected the city fields from being damaged, not to mention provided protection for potential litigation.
“The presence of hundreds of vehicles and individuals on the property creates a significant risk management concern,” SYSC President Jay Albe said. “Since we entered into a 24-year lease with the city for the Spartan Complex that includes our assumption and responsibility for risks and liabilities on the property, I perceive the club has an affirmative duty to exercise prudent controls over the property which is in our care, custody and control.”
Albe, a local attorney by trade, said the volunteer force needed to oversee the parking on the fields, which stretch from Fritchie Park to the entrance of Eagle Point subdivision, can only be obtained when there is some kind of tangible benefit to the club—hence the $10 parking fee.
He said that the club parked 425 cars and brought in $4,250, after they collected $7,385 for parking in 2014. In both years they gave a $1,000 donation to the Hospice Foundation, and gave the Slidell Police Reserves $500 in 2014 and $300 in 2015.
The questions at the council meeting came about since the city gives a donation each year to local recreation groups, with the SYSC receiving $10,000 a year to assist in their operation. Each of those groups must submit an annual financial report to the city, and send a representative to the City Council meeting once a year to provide an update on their activities.
When Albe made the annual appearance at the last City Council meeting, he thanked the council extensively for their donation, noting that it is extremely helpful for them to operate and run the league for over 2,000 children. He mentioned a handful of Slidell teams that had won state championships in various age brackets this past year.
City Councilman Sam Abney had a question for Albe and indicated his displeasure for the league reportedly using the soccer fields on Spartan Drive to charge $10 parking fees for the thousands of patrons to the annual Crawfish Cookoff, held in April of this year.
“I received a number of complaints from residents about that,” Abney said, since he represents that area of Slidell. “They didn’t understand why the club could charge parking on land the city leases to the club for your soccer games.”
Abney wasn’t the only one who complained about the parking charge. A Slidell resident also spoke during the public hearing and told the council, “you give these people money, and then they charge us to park on the city fields? We should not be held hostage to them. I had nothing but complaints from friends I knew—it’s outrageous. They should not be allowed to charge for parking.”
The Crawfish Cookoff is the most heavily attended fundraising event of the year in Slidell, with reportedly over 10,000 people attending the benefit for the Hospice Foundation of the South. Parking in the Spartan Drive area of Fritchie Park is at a premium and the SYSC wasn’t the only group to charge for parking—so did a church across the street do the same thing on their property—land they actually own.
Albe said he is assuming the club will continue the same parking arrangement in coming years, due to the liability concern, and other issues.
“Before this we had people parking all over the place, creating problems on the field, and leaving a lot of trash,” he said.