This document is intended to assist staff at Fast Break Sports Iowa (FBSI) and the Iowa West Field House (Field House) understand the needs of Council Bluffs and Southwest Iowa community groups and organizations and to maximize the use of the Field House court/net hours. 

A. The Field House Community Liaison will communicate with the groups and organizations identified in this document at least annually to:

1. Identify the seasons that the organization operates.
2. Identify the court/net hours desired for use at the Field House as outlined in Section 9.
3. Ensure that Field House staff have current contact information.
4. Communicate the rules and procedures adopted by the Field House for users.

B. The groups and organizations to be contacted annually include but are not limited to those listed below. Preference for community use will be given to those in Tier 1.  Tier 2 use is defined in Section E.6.

      Tier 1:             Council Bluffs YMCA

                              Cobra Optimist Youth Sports

                              Council Bluffs Parks and Recreation

                              Boys and Girls Club of Council Bluffs

      Tier 2:             Thomas Jefferson High School

                              Abraham Lincoln High School

                              St. Alberts High School

                              Lewis Central High School

                              Heartland Christian High School

      Tier 3:             AL Youth Basketball

                              St. Alberts Youth Sports

                              Council Bluffs Soccer Club

      Tier 4:             SWI Third Degree Volleyball

                              Attack Volleyball

                              Other rental users

C. Community users will be identified by:

1. Non-profit status
2. Select or non-select sports group
3. Schools
4. Organizations serving poor or disadvantaged youth.

D. Field House staff shall track user requests for no or reduced cost (community use) Field House hours.

1. FBSI management shall work with the Iowa West Foundation to determine support for user scholarships (rental assistance).
2. FBSI shall annually provide supporting documentation of assistance requests to the Iowa West Foundation and seek their support of funding for these groups.

E. Iowa West Field House Community Use Policy and Procedures:

1. Hours of Operation:

1. • Community use hours are defined as non-peak time starting at 5:30pm Monday through Thursday.
   • Peak time is defined as Friday at 5:00 pm through Sunday at 9:00 pm.
   • Non-peak time includes all other operating hours.

     2. House Staffing:

• • FBSI shall provide an employee on site at the Field House during all used operating hours to ensure users sign in, to direct participants to assigned courts/nets and to maintain the facility for users.

     3. Users Site Representative:

• • All organizations, clubs, and groups using the Field House shall have a designated on-site representative at the Field House during use. 
  • The designated on-site representative is expected to distribute equipment, assist with team/coach questions, and assist the users with non-Field House questions and/or issues.
  • The designated on-site representative shall ensure the courts/nets used are free of trash at the end of the use and that equipment such as balls, carts, goals, etc. are stored or taken from the facility.

     4. Equipment

• • All users of the Field House shall provide their own equipment (i.e., balls, goals, ball carts, etc.)  The Field House does not provide balls or equipment for use or rental.
  • The Field House may provide onsite storage for user’s equipment when not in use.  Storage space is limited so not all storage requests can be met. 
  • Fast Break Sports Iowa and the Field House are not responsible for loss or theft of equipment that is stored at the Field House.

• • Community use (low or no cost) requests not made as part of the annual contact made by Field House staff shall be made by submitting a “Community Use” request on the Iowa West Field House website.

  • Field House staff will make every effort to make a response to the request within 7 days of the submittal.

     6. High School Community Use:

• • Each of the high schools identified above are granted the use of one (1) basketball court or two (2) volleyball nets for in season practices.
  • High School Community use hours are Monday through Thursday from 3:00pm to 5:15pm.
  • Requests for high school community use shall be submitted by the school’s athletic director prior to the start of each season.

• • Fast Break Sports Iowa will annually set rates and fees for Field House community use.  These rates and fees will be consistent with the requirement of the Iowa West Foundation to provide a low or no cost use of the Field House for community use.
  • It is the desire of Fast Break Sports Iowa (FBSI) and the staff at the Iowa West Field House to maximize the use of available hours at the Field House.

    If an organization is unable to use the facility due to fees, they may request scholarship assistance.                                                                               Staff at the Field House will track requests for financial assistance to provide data on assistance given and to report to the Iowa West Foundation on the unmet needs for financial assistance.

  • Non-profit organizations may request Field House use with no fees by submitting the attached form

       8. Non-Use of Community Use Hours:

• • Field House management shall record community use hours both used and not used.
  • Recognizing that there are many groups, organizations and clubs desiring to use the Field House, any granted community use hours not utilized three (3) weeks in a row will be considered not needed and offered to other community use or rental groups, organizations, or clubs.

       9. Community Use Application Time Frame

• • Requests for community use hours and requests for financial assistance shall be submitted within the following time frame:
    • Requests for use in the months August through November – submitted by June 1st.
    • Requests for use in the months December through March – submitted by October 1st.

    • Requests for use in the months April through July – submitted by February 1^st.