UPDATE: Parties reach stadium agreement

The Pete’s Pool standoff appears to have ended peacefully. Enumclaw School District Superintendent Mike Nelson and City Administrator Mike Thomas jointly announced Thursday that a tentative agreement had been reached for management of the football stadium.

The Pete’s Pool standoff appears to have ended peacefully.

Enumclaw School District Superintendent Mike Nelson and City Administrator Mike Thomas jointly announced Thursday that a tentative agreement had been reached for management of the football stadium. Pending approval by one state agency, the tentative lease agreement needs only the blessing of the Enumclaw School District board of directors and members of the Enumclaw City Council.

The item should already have been deliberated by the city, as it was to be placed on the council’s Monday night agenda, Thomas said. Nelson added that the measure will go before the school board next week.

The two sides butted heads after a volunteer effort resulted in extensive renovation to the Enumclaw landmark. The crowned, natural grass field was replaced with a synthetic surface, among other improvements.

Then came talks over who should manage the facility and how much users should be charged.

In the end, a 25-year contract was agreed upon, spelling out the district’s ability to use the stadium for school sports and activities. The district will manage the stadium facility and provide for community and third-party use of the stadium and, finalizing a crucial negotiating point, the district agrees to replace the turf at the end of its usable life. It is expected the turf will have to be replaced twice during the life of the contract.

“We are very pleased to partner with the city of Enumclaw. We believe this agreement will be of great benefit to the students of the Enumclaw School District and the entire Black Diamond and Enumclaw communities,” Superintendent Mike Nelson said is a prepared press release.

Thomas noted how, for years, “the city of Enumclaw and the school district have worked in unison to provide recreational and athletic programming and facilities for the Plateau’s school aged youth.

“The new football turf field is a testament to the power of partnerships,” he added.

It’s expected that school board members will also vote on fee schedule, which will look like that used by the Sumner School District and will go into effect immediately.

The stadium will be folded into Business Manager Tim Madden’s duties since his office handles all the other facility scheduling duties at the school district.

Unclear at press time is the issue of a bill already charged to the district by the city. Thomas said the district has been charged for Pete’s Pool use, but that issue is separate from the negotiated contract.