The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

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Discussion

May 12, 2008

City Council advances plans for sports complex

By Debby Woodin

dwoodin@joplinglobe.com

The Joplin City Council on Monday night approved Joplin Athletic Complex as the formal name for the new sports complex, and gave the city staff the go-ahead to present ordinances that would appropriate staffing and set fees for use.

The council voted informally 7-1 to establish that name for the $6 million sports park rather than calling it the Joplin Sports Complex or Miner’s Field.

Councilman Benjamin Rosenberg suggested Miner’s Field, citing Joplin’s mining heritage.

Councilman Phil Stinnett voted against the name Joplin Athletic Complex. Mayor Pro Tem Mike Woolston was not present at the time to vote because he was asked by Mayor Gary Shaw to attend a reception saluting departing school Superintendent Jim Simpson on behalf of the city.

Before discussing the operational plan for the complex, the council heard from the designers of the park’s fields in regard to concerns that have been expressed about the orientation of the baseball field and the slope of the soccer fields.

A Joplin baseball coach attended an earlier meeting and said he believed the field was designed incorrectly in that the batter and catcher in games would be playing with the sun in their eyes.

The engineers told the council that they used a chart that shows the angle of the sun in relation to the orientation of the field. They said the sun would be northwest of home plate when it is lowest in the sky and would not interfere with the catcher’s or batter’s vision.

They said it could slightly affect the third-base area, but that many more plays are made at first base than third.

They also said they used reference material to establish a slope for the soccer field drainage so the fields would not retain water.

Some of the council members told the engineers, from the Kansas City firm of Bucher, Willis & Ratliff, that they will reserve judgment on whether the fields are built correctly until after they see how the fields are accepted by players and coaches.

The council also agreed informally to have ordinances drafted that would approve a proposed staffing plan and fee schedule for the athletic park.

Several council members questioned whether the proposed staffing would be enough people to adequately operate and maintain the park.

The plan calls for the addition of one full-time employee and three part-time workers, and an increased level of supervisory authority for one person in the parks department. It would cost an estimated $62,000 in annual payroll to start those added positions.

Stinnett told City Manager Mark Rohr that he thinks it likely could require more people to attend to the sports park in addition to all other parks duties.

Another council member, Bill Scearce, said he thinks the athletic complex will demand more attention of parks workers, and that parks maintenance could then suffer.

Rohr told Stinnett, “I’d rather ask for more later if needed,” than to spend more and then find out the additional expense wasn’t necessary.

Ordinances to allow hiring of the additional staff and to set use fees for the park are to be presented to the council for formal action in June, it was decided.

The proposed fees are as follows.

n Passes that would allow 24-hours-a-day play on the tennis courts would be $100 for individuals and $200 for families. Court rentals would be $10 per hour for general use or $8 per hour per court for high school and college tournaments, and $5 for practice. Tennis lessons would be $30 per person, and leagues would be $50 per person.

n Baseball field charges would be $175 per game and $50 per practice.

n Soccer charges would be $10 per player for youth leagues and $15 for adult leagues, with tournaments costing $25 per match for high school and college play, and $50 per adult match. Soccer instructions would cost $10 per player.





Softball players

Softball players concerned about access to city fields attended Monday night’s meeting and were told that some dates had been opened at Bassman Field. They also were told that there is to be no lock on Bassman Field, and if it is not in use, it is available for practices. Practice also will be allowed on grass fields at the new Joplin Athletic Complex at First Street and Tri-State Road, north of Schifferdecker Park.

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