Medway: Concession stand operation out to bid
MEDWAY - The operation and profit of a concession stand will be put out to bid after the operation of the building was transferred to a youth football organization.
The building, also known as the Coakley Building, was formerly run by the Friends of Medway Athletics, a local booster organization that would divide the profit made from concessions to local groups based on how much time they worked in the stand.
That decision, according to Parks Commissioner Sean Murphy, was made last spring.
A March 2015 agreement signed between the School Committee and Board of Selectmen gives the Parks Commission authority over operations, maintenance and scheduling of three (two recently built) artificial turf fields at the high school.
Murphy said the commission, along with the Board of Selectmen, wanted more control over the concession stand “to know what it made.”
Instead, a youth football group now runs the stand and operates largely in the same way as the Friends of Medway Athletics, but the group keeps 35 percent of net profits after another 35 percent goes to costs, meaning other groups that work the stand at events receive less than before.
Friends of Medway Athletics, however, would not keep any of the profit.
Murphy said the youth football group was previously using a grass field at the middle school, which included a concession stand completely run by the group, but when the league made the switch to the turf fields, that extra cash was gone.
In addition, the youth football group has to pay rental fees on the turf fields.
“When they went to turf...they lost their ability to fundraise for the program,” Murphy said of the youth football group.
Murphy said the park commission’s goal is to raise enough money each year, about $150,000, to put into a stabilization account to replace the turf on the fields in 10 years.
After concerns were raised from Friends of Medway Athletics and Medway Gridiron Club (a high school booster organization) at meeting last week, the commission decided to put the issue out to bid.
Groups will be able to submit competitive bids for the opportunity to run the concession stand.
Friends of Medway Athletics treasurer Patty MacDonald said the group plans on submitting a bid.
Julie Dennehy, on behalf of the Gridiron Club, said the club had its questions on “operational changes” answered at last week’s meeting.
Zachary Comeau can be reached at 508-634-7556 and zcomeau@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZComeau_MDN.
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160529/medway-concession-stand-operation-out-to-bid
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