Tennis professionals who give lessons at Coonskin Park will soon be charged for their use of the tennis courts.
The Kanawha County Parks and Recreation Commission Board voted Wednesday to charge professionals who make money off the courts, giving them an option of $150 a week or $50 an hour.
Members of the general public who use the court will not be charged and neither will public schools.
"It's no charge except for the people who make a profit," said board President Allen Tackett.
The charges also will apply to the University of Charleston, because it is a private college, Tackett said.
The Parks board will revisit the issue in another month to see how people are taking the decision.
As much as $100,000 is required in maintenance to the soccer field, on top of the $300,000 that the Parks board is paying for new turf, said Tackett.
Along with putting in the new turf, the Parks board wants to repair the concrete and drainage around the field, add an asphalt track, purchase new soccer nets and put in a shelter on the sidelines for teams.
Tackett said the money already had been set aside in a maintenance fund for the fields.
The Parks board has come to an arrangement with Coca-Cola in which the soft drink company will sponsor a scoreboard and digital message board for Coonskin Park.
The details of the agreement have not been released, including how much, if any, money the parks board would have to spend on the two items.
Since Memorial Day, a little under 34,000 vehicles, excluding buses and vans, have driven through Coonskin Park, according to park's vehicle tracker.
The pool at Coonskin Park was vandalized this month. Park police have a list of names and are following up on the people who they think are guilty.
The Parks board is offering their facilities to schools that are dealing with damage from the floods.
Jeff Hutchinson, the executive director of the parks, said Coonskin is looking to provide space to host elementary and middle school students from schools that were affected by the floods.
"We'll provide all of our facilities available to the schools for whatever they need," Tackett said.
Coonskin Park also suffered damage in the floods. The areas around the Riverside shelter were completely flooded and still is covered in mud.
"Every time it rains the mud comes right back up," Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson said the storm took out a 40-foot by 6-foot section of the road near the Riverside shelter.
Hutchinson plans to meet with FEMA about reimbursement for repairs.
Anna Dailey is resigning from the Parks board effective Aug. 1. Dailey is a partner at Dinsmore law firm in Charleston.
Reach Daniel Desrochers at dan.desrochers@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4886 or follow @drdesrochers on Twitter.