Police and Fire Committee

Park and Recreation Committee Meeting Minutes April 18th, 2019 4:30PM Present: Kysa Rasmussen, Tami Christensen, Janet Sergent Absent: None Visitors: Mayor Norby, Clerk/Treasurer Redfield, PWD Hintz, Parks Superintendent Ridl Richland County Baseball: Brent Sukut, Travis Bower 1. Richland County Baseball: The Park and Recreation Board met to further discuss Richland County Baseball maintaining Moose Park for the 2019 summer and receiving the maintenance payment, even though they will not be having a baseball program that will be using that field. Alderwoman Rasmussen stated it was discussed in previous years to evaluate the payment the given for this maintenance each year. Alderwoman Christensen asked if RC Baseball had decided on if they wanted to continue to maintain Moose Park, and Mr. Bower stated the Board met and they do want to. Mr. Bower asked about the evaluating of the payment, as he was not aware of that situation, and Mayor Norby stated that before the City of Sidney was paying RC Baseball $6,000 a year for the maintenance, but because the maintenance was not be sufficiently done it was cut to $4,000 a year, with looking closely each year at the work being done and how much payment should be issued. Parks Superintendent Ridl stated that in the beginning RC Baseball was maintaining the entire field at Moose Park, but it has been cut back to just the infield and fences, which were still not being done appropriately. Mr. Bower stated he just did a walk-through of Moose Park and was appalled at the state of it, and that it needs to be done better, but with a new Board and leadership it will be better. Mayor Norby stated that with the City’s budget being so tight, he has a new proposal. He stated that if RC Baseball agreed, the City would do the maintaining of Moose Park, but would not pay RC Baseball the $4,000. Instead that money would go directly to improvements needed at Moose Park and Lyndale Park. He stated some of the improvements presented to him by Parks Superintendent Ridl were putting concrete under the benches, improvements to the outfield fence, and the sponsor boards. He further stated that the Parks Department has agreed to do all the watering, weeding and mow Moose Park once a week, and that the field will be ready for RC Baseball and in better shape when their program resumes for that field. City/Treasurer Redfield stated that in the budget, a fund (2061 Ball fields and Ballparks) was created many years ago that gains its revenue from transfers to the general fund. It is that fund that has been paying RC Baseball for their maintenance, but that money could be utilized for  improvements if it is not paid for maintenance. Mr. Bower and Mr. Sukut both stated they had no issues with that. Mr. Bower further stated that they were having issues with hiring maintenance workers, so this solves problems for them also. Parks Superintendent Ridl stated improving the field might help attract new people to the struggling program also. She further stated that they will have no issues with having time to maintain Moose Park, as the only time they have had that issue is when they were doing major clean up in the fall after the field was not maintained properly over the summer. Proposed projects and improvements for Moose Park and Lyndale Park were discussed, and it was decided that RC Baseball and Parks Superintendent Ridl should get together to go over improvements and make recommendations as to what should be done. Alderwoman Christensen made a motion to recommend to the City Council that RC Baseball will receive no funds for maintaining Moose Park, that the City will do all the maintenance, the money saved will be used for improvements at Moose Park and Lyndale Park, and that RC Baseball’s Park Use Agreement be modified and signed for the use of Lyndale and Water Tower Parks. Alderwoman Sergent seconded the motion, and if with no further discussion, all present voted aye. Mayor Norby informed RC Baseball that Building Inspector Rasmussen will be contacting them about anchoring their sheds, as it is needed to fit building codes. Meeting was adjourned at 5:01 pm. _________________________ Jessica Redfield, City Clerk _____________________________ Kysa Rasmussen, Committee Chair