October 14, 2024 |
PHOTO – Baseball fields in Rawlins – Bigfoot99 file photo
In Rawlins, city officials debated the issue of who is responsible for the Little League baseball fields.
Decades of deferred maintenance has left the four city-owned VFW Little League baseball fields, located north of the Carbon County Fairgrounds, in a mostly unplayable condition. The fields are uneven, potted with gopher and badger holes, the weeds are overgrown, and water is pooling.
Since 2021, the Rawlins Parks and Recreation Department has been working to make the fields safe for play. Using a Carbon County School District One recreation grant, the city hired a Colorado sports facility company to level out three of the four Little League fields.
During the October 1st Rawlins city council meeting, Parks and Recreation Director Nikki Howell said that the city set aside $200,000 for building improvements and new asphalt at the VFW Little League baseball fields. Howell said Rocky Mountain Power was paid $5,584 to move a large electrical transformer.
In August, the Parks and Rec Department paid 307 Plumbing $400 to perform a sewer inspection of the bathrooms at the baseball fields. Howell said the inspection revealed extensive damage to the existing sewer system.
Howell said Plus Electric quoted $13,300 to connect power from the relocated transformer to the irrigation and lighting controls at the Little League fields. The parks and rec director said Rocky Mountain Power requires a licensed electrician to perform the work.
Howell continued, saying that installing a steel building at the ball fields will cost between $12,000 and $30,000 for materials, plus an additional $30,000 to have a local contractor build the structure. That price, including a $19,000 quote for a storage shed and $1,716 for unforeseen expenses, comes to $100,000.
The steel structure will house the electrical equipment used to power the scoreboards and irrigation systems at the ball fields.
Howell said the city spent $5,156 to have Knife River Aggregates lay gravel on parts of the fields affected by the area’s high-water table. Having a contractor pave the concession area will cost an additional $65,376. If more concrete is needed, such as for the base of the proposed steel structure, the cost will rise by an additional $24,467, said Howell.
The proposed total for upgrading the Little League fields, including building improvements and asphalt costs, is $200,000.
Howell returned to the collapsed sewer line discovered during 307 Plumbing’s inspection. The parks and rec director said the sewer runs through the middle of the most used field. Repairing the line could cost upwards of $100,000.
Howell said the Rawlins Little League organization would like a new electronic scoreboard for the VFW fields. However, a new concession stand is the highest priority for the youth baseball organization. The previous concession stand, which was in very poor condition, was torn down in August.
Rawlins Little League President Dawn Acre said concession sales bring in the majority of the money for the non-profit organization. By removing the concession stand, Arce said the city has limited Little League’s ability to generate revenue.
Arce said families rely on food provided by the Little League concession stand during games.
Because the City of Rawlins owns the VFW fields, Howell said the municipality is responsible for providing a new way for Little League to serve and store food. The parks and rec director presented two proposals to the council, a prefabricated storage shed or a mobile food trailer.
Councilman Chris Weisenburg said he supports funding recreation opportunities for residents. However, Weisenburg said the previous concession stand should have been repaired rather than torn down. The councilman said the city isn’t obligated to provide the Little League organization with a new food storage shed or trailer.
Councilwoman Tonya Lewman disagreed, stating that the city should replace the old concession stand since the city had it demolished. Councilwoman Lewman questioned the benefit of a food trailer over a storage shed.
Howell offered to meet with the Rawlins Little League members and come up with a more agreeable food storage solution.
The Rawlins city council asked Howell to obtain cost estimates for reduced concrete at the ball fields. The money saved by using less concrete can be used for other projects.
Howell is preparing the VFW baseball fields for the upcoming 2025 Little League All-Star Tournament.
