Board looking for grants to finance new baseball complex
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
A new plan to prevent inadvertent lock-ins at the Lee Beran Recreation Center and a new ball complex in Northwest Park were discussed Monday evening at an Emporia Recreation Commission board meeting.
The lock-in plan was created after two women, who remain unidentified, were trapped in the center’s locker room from about 8:10 p.m. Nov. 5 until at about 12:45 p.m. Nov. 6.
“I have talked to both and expressed our deepest regrets for what happened,” ERC Director Tom McEvoy said.
They will not bring any legal action against the center, he said. The lock-in happened after two part-time employees did not follow their cleaning checklist at closing time. The list requires they make sure everyone is out of the locker rooms before cleaning them, which they did not do.
One of the employees quit and the other one was dismissed, McEvoy said. Employees now have to sign each checklist and provide their clock-out time. ERC staff will do periodic audits. New locks were installed on the locker room doors, which lead out to the hallways.
“We’ve had that locker room open for almost 30 years and this is the first time something like this has ever happened,” McEvoy said. “What it comes down to is negligence on the part of the part-time staff trying to get out of here on Saturday night.”
In other action Monday, the commission passed a motion 5-2 to have the McEvoy work with the city to look for grant funding and find out before the commission potentially moves forward with a new $5.7 million baseball and softball complex at a park next to Jones Aquatic Center. Commission Chairman Jim Markowitz and board member Roger Hartsook opposed the measure.
Markowitz said the commission should instead turf Soden’s Grove and expand Whittier Park to handle the increased number of adult softball and youth baseball players.
“We maintain (Soden’s Grove at a cost of) $40,000 a year,” he said. “We felt like by putting turf down there and addressing the maintenance issues that would relieve us of some costs.”
Board member Kevin Nelson brought the motion and board member Mike Helbert seconded. Nelson said they should have a response about the grants in the next 60 days.
A 2002 study cost $30,000, and it looked into how parks could be improved.
Markowitz said the study did not move far with its conclusions, and in the past, the commission had problems getting funding for park projects from the city commission.
The commission also unanimously passed a motion approving a 10-year lease agreement between the ERC and the Two Rivers Youth Soccer Association. The agreement includes a 60-day exit clause in case either party feels it needs to cancel the agreement.
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
Someone please explain this to me like I am a third grader.
Why would FEMA and our city give Fanestil meats several million dollars to move out of the Soden Grove area due to flooding and at the same time the rec center has mentioned spending close to a million for ball field turf in the same flood plain?
November 22, 2011 at 8:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
karmadog (anonymous) says...
Why do we want a multimillion dollar baseball complex on the northwest side of town when we haven't been able to take care of the fields we own. Even if grant dollars pay for some of the construction will we be able to afford the up keep and enhancements. Isn't baseball one season in Kansas? This will be a uni-tasker facility. Is that the best use of our mill levy? Why not make modest quality of life enhancements to what we already own? I thought that's what they researched. Why are they using a 2002 study...that's 10 years old. Our city or county economy looks nothing like it did in 2002. Wasn't that study done for parks, not sports complexes? Didn't the staff at the Rec Center recommend upgradings and renovations on existing facilities rather than building new? Wouldn't those folks who work in Rec programs day-in and day-out have a very good idea what would best serve our community within our needs? What's going on here...someone needs to watch this issue. I hope the Gazette and KVOE are paying close attention.
November 23, 2011 at 1:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )