One thing was missing in the articulate Capital Improvement Plan composed by Ed Hunzeker and presented at the meeting on June 10. Several funding predictions for the next five years covered numerous county parks and recreation facilities, but nowhere in the 400-page binder was there any mention of funding for the fields needed by the Palmetto Little League.
”I’m looking through this binder and seeing that they are building softball fields all over the county,“ said Commissioner Larry Bustle, ”but there isn’t any being built north of the river. Why?“
”I want to know how to get them put in the CIP!“ he said.
The baseball fields used by the Palmetto Little League were demolished two years ago in order to build the new Palmetto Elementary School. To relocate them, the city of Palmetto will have to move part of a road. The expense for the fields will end up being much more than allotted because of an additional cost of around $1 million to relocate the roadway. In an era of county-wide cutbacks, this poses a big problem for Palmetto.
”We have a responsibility to make sure those fields get built!“ exclaimed Commissioner Brown.
The fields are a concern between the City of Palmetto and the Manatee County School Board. The issue has grown stagnant with no solid solution in sight. Manatee Fruit donated a piece of property, but a road prevents the space from being big enough to contain regulation baseball diamonds.
The city wants to move forward with the project, but says their ability to fund it depends on two grants coming through. They've asked the school board to help, and while the school board has professed a willingness to share costs, it has also pointed to its limitations on how it can spend.
”Those ball fields are an issue between the city of Palmetto and the school board. We are not in charge,“ said county administrator Ed Hunzeker. ”We never have been. We never owned them.“
Currently the Little League is playing on non-regulation fields in a different location.
”We need to negotiate to make sure (the little league's) needs get to the table,“ said Brown.
When the argument got going at the CIP meeting, fingers were pointing all over the room.
”Bustle, it is ironic that you are bringing this up as our problem, because as Mayor (of Palmetto) it seems like it was your problem,“ Commissioner McClash said. ”You got stuck with what we said was going to happen and you destroyed the Little League.“
Larry Bustle was the Mayor of Palmetto when the project started. He was running for County Commissioner and is now serving in the position.
”It is unfair to venture legal opinion without all the facts," Bustle said. ”It is unkind and improper to say that someone destroyed the Little League.“
Palmetto Elementary was a fifty-year-old building that had mold and air quality issues. There was a definite need for a new school. When a plan emerged to re-locate the school to the recreational area off of 10th street, and move the fields to the previous school location for an even trade, officials rushed the deal. Unfortunately, regulation fields didn’t fit in the plans.
”We’ve been going over this for a year," said Commissioner Chappie. ”All the cities are part of a county and 144 kids are part of this group. We need to take care of these kids.“
At the end of the meeting the County Commission accepted public comment.
"If you take away too many ball fields you'd better plan on expanding your jail," said Ernest Marshall.
The Palmetto Little League issue is scheduled to be addressed at the county commissioner meeting on July 29, 2010.
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