Working together
Everyone wins when city, school pool resources
In a cooperative effort, the city of Eugene, Oregon, uses the local high school fields for city league play, and in turn helped
fund the renovation, including a new Musco lighting system. Musco’s Control-Link® system delivers automated scheduling,
helping defray operating costs because the lights are on only when needed.
Musco’s Control-Link® is an
automated scheduling system that:
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Saves energy by operating lights only when needed
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Curtails public concerns about lights on when not in use
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Saves expense in staff time going from field to field turning lights on and off
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Eases scheduling via internet, e-mail, phone or fax
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Provides usage data for charging user fees, increasing revenues
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Uses passwords instead of keys
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Assures trouble-free operation with centralized management and support provided by Musco’s Control-Link Central staff
The city of Eugene, Oregon, needed more fields for their city soccer leagues.
The local high school wanted to light their football and soccer fields. Both city and school’s wishes came
true when they joined efforts and created a cooperative plan.
Though a bond issue to renovate four high school fields passed, funds were still needed to include everything
on the wish list. The city came up with the extra funds when the school agreed to allow city soccer leagues to use the fields.
As a result, the city can now expand their soccer program, extending playing time at night. The school appreciates
better fan attendance with the ability to hold games on Friday night. They were also awarded state playoff
games due to the renovation, providing additional revenue.
“It was a win-win situation all the way around,” said Dave Battaglia, Athletics Manager for the city of Eugene.
The school pays operating costs for three months, while the city picks up the remaining nine months.
Musco’s 10 Club Service® will take care of maintenance issues for 10 years, so the owners won’t have
to budget annual maintenance dollars.
Automated scheduling keeps cost down
Both groups saw the need for an automated scheduling tool to make sure the lights were on only when necessary — accommodating
varied schedules, keeping operating costs down, and neighbors happy. The ability to set user fees was also a benefit.
Both city and school officials were unhappy with the results of the first control/scheduling system they purchased.
“It never worked right,” said Battaglia. They then began distributing keys, a decision that soon became too complicated.
Still convinced of the value of automated control and scheduling, they installed Musco’s Control-Link® system.
“Everything’s been solved,” Battaglia commented. “The system works great. It really showed the value
of a good automated control system, both from a cost and a scheduling standpoint,” he continued.
Players, neighbors, fans, city and school officials were all winners through this effort. The successful collaboration
between the city of Eugene and the school system shows what an impact quality recreational facilities can have on a community. •
