Pittsburgh City Council is looking to ensure the city’s youth have first priority when it comes to getting permits for athletic fields.

Council members have acknowledged that there is often competition among various groups vying for time on the city’s athletic fields and courts. rst.

The measure was first introduced in October and has been updated as council members have discussed who should get first dibs at the fields.

“What’s been brought to light here is we just need more fields,” Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side, said.

The proposal would give first priority to Pittsburgh Public Schools athletics from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays during the school year.

Wilson, a co-sponsor of the bill, said he’d like to see the district “start going in the direction of providing more fields for their individual schools,” but said the time slots they often use don’t conflict with many other athletic leagues.

Second priority would go to private schools’ athletic programs that are located within the city and whose rosters are made primarily of Pittsburgh residents.

The next group to get priority would be groups affiliated with CitiParks and CitiSports, with other youth sports leagues serving mostly Pittsburgh residents next in line.

“They’re taking 10,000 kids off the streets and doing something positive with them,” Council President Theresa Kail-Smith, D-West End, said of the city’s youth athletic leagues.

She said she wanted to ensure they got field time, and highlighted the important role they play to provide the city’s youth with safe after-school activities.

Next on the prioritization list are adult sports leagues that consist mostly of Pittsburgh residents.

Youth or adult sports leagues who aren’t comprised primarily of Pittsburgh residents get last dibs on the fields.

There are more than 100 athletic facilities throughout the city that athletic associates can get permits to use, according to the city’s website.

Kail-Smith said she’d like to see more, including some dedicated to adults.

When it was first introduced, the legislation would have given first priority to athletic associations comprised of city residents who are using the facilities for sports programs, tournaments or events. Then, it would have prioritized individual residents who live in the neighborhood where the field is located, followed by city employees who live in the city.

Similar to the new version, the initial proposal would have given last priority to athletic organizations that are not fully comprised of Pittsburgh residents.

Before City Council looked to legislate a priority list, Wilson said, the city’s permitting office had used its own list, which was not publicly shared.

The new prioritization, he said, will be formalized and public “so there’s nothing going on behind closed doors.”

All council members at Wednesday’s meeting supported the measure. Councilman Ricky Burgess, D-North Point Breeze, was not present for the vote.

The proposal is expected to be ready for a final vote next week.

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