May 06, 2008 10:50 pm
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By Debby Woodin
dwoodin@joplinglobe.com
A youth baseball league that was granted a lease that provides free use of the city-owned Bassman Field is charging organizers of Joplin’s Boomtown Days festival $2,400 to use the field for the event.
The deal will end up costing taxpayers because the city staff and the City Council said they would try to make up the cost to Boomtown Days, citing a snafu in the ball field not having been reserved for the festival or excluded for the festival weekend from the league’s lease.
The City Council in March approved a lease presented by Jerry Calvin, parks and recreation director, that gives the Joplin Youth Baseball Organization use of Bassman Field on Tuesdays through Sundays through June, and Ewert Field for April.
Under the lease agreement, the city waives a $30-per-night fee for use of the field and a $10 fee for use of lights if the league keeps the field mowed, cleaned and maintained.
Softball players last month presented petitions with 2,000 signatures citing concerns about the availability of fields, and they complained that the lease had limited the access of adult softball players to the field. They also complained that a permanent baseball mound had been installed, and the gate to the field had been locked contrary to City Council instructions when the lease was discussed.
The council learned of the latest complication with the lease at a meeting Monday night.
At the meeting, City Manager Mark Rohr presented a proposed agreement to sublease Bassman Field to Boomtown Days for a fee of $2,400, to be paid to the baseball organization. Rohr told council members that the baseball organization was unwilling to allow free use of the field for the festival, saying the group had a tournament scheduled that weekend and would lose money by canceling the tournament.
Kim Vann of the Joplin Area of Chamber of Commerce said Tuesday that Boomtown Days organizers were notified recently by the city staff that the field would not be available for festival use June 6-8 because it had been leased to the Joplin Youth Baseball Organization through June.
Vann said festival planners thought that Landreth Park, including Bassman Field, had been reserved the week after last year’s festival for this year’s event.
“Joplin is a full partner in the festival and provided the space,” Vann said of the usual arrangements for the festival. “We communicate the days with the parks department, and they take care of the necessary arrangements on their end.”
Calvin, the parks and recreation director, said his department did not reserve the ball field because it had not been used the previous year.
“All we know is they did not use it last year, and since they did not use it, (a parks employee) reserved the amphitheater and the shelters and grounds and parking they normally use,” Calvin said.
“Then in February and March, when we were approached about the lease, since we aren’t aware the field was needed, I just know that for whatever reason we didn’t have Bassman down for Boomtown. As far as we knew, those dates were available, so those dates were included in the (baseball) lease agreement.”
Several council members said they did not intend for the baseball organization to be allowed to sublease the field or to charge another city-sanctioned group to use the field.
Rohr said the organization has not been cooperative with city officials, and that the council may want to reconsider granting any future leases.
Councilman Bill Scearce asked if Boomtown Days could set up children’s rides in another location at the park rather than paying the money to use the baseball field. Rohr told the council that the festival planners have a layout for use of all the space at the park, and they need the grounds provided by the field.
Rohr said the city would try to offset the expense to the festival by providing assistance with other expenses.
Calvin said the city provides a number of services to the festival without charge.
“We provide all the support, fencing, trash removal, cleaning the restrooms, managing the amphitheater and managing the stage, so our people do several things,” Calvin said. He said the city would try to help alleviate some other costs as they come up to make up the $2,400.
Calvin last month submitted his resignation the day after the softball players presented their petitions to the council. He plans to retire later this month, he notified the city.
The Globe contacted Tammy Altman, secretary of the youth baseball organization, who referred questions to another representative of the league, Kevin Gaudette.
A person who would give his name only as Mike returned the telephone calls seeking comment.
He said the organization is a member of USSSA Baseball, a national association. That association lists Rod Hall as tournament director for the organization. Calvin confirmed that Hall is involved in the organization that sought the Bassman Field lease.
Hall last year was charged with a felony of taking over the treasury of Joplin Little League South. It later was returned, and his case was placed on deferred prosecution March 24 for a year.
Hall also filed a competing Little League charter during that dispute with the group last year. That charter eventually was dropped in favor of the original Little League South charter involving other leaders.
Mayor Pro Tem Mike Woolston told council members at Monday night’s meeting that they had no choice but to grant the sublease or Boomtown Days would not have the space it needs for the festival.
“I agree that we’ve got egg on our face (over granting the lease), but if we don’t approve the sublease, we’re penalizing Boomtown Days, not the Joplin Youth Baseball Organization,” he said.
Council vote
The Joplin City Council voted 5-4 during its informal meeting Monday night to approve a sublease of Bassman Field for Boomtown Days, slated for June 6-8, that requires the festival planners to pay $2,400 to the Joplin Youth Baseball Organization for use of the field.
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