National Government Mayor Bryant Stakes Out Palmetto's Stance on Ballfields in Open Letter to Stakeholders

PALMETTO – In the continuing saga of the Palmetto Little League fields, many parties involved are still trying to figure out the convoluted chain of events that led to an announcement earlier this month that a site which they had all been moving forward with since 2010 was off the table. In an open letter to all stakeholders on Tuesday, Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover-Bryant sought to clarify what her city's government knew and when, as well as its current position.

The original fields were used as the site of the new elementary school in 2009. A land swap was then arranged involving the school district, the City of Palmetto, Manatee County and the Manatee Fruit Company, with the intent being that a former citrus grove would be converted into a regulation Little League complex that would be managed and maintained by the county.

Cost escalations threatened the deal until Manatee County Commissioner Joe McClash proposed a piece meal approach that would bring the project close to the $800,000 budget that the city had made available to complete it. Almost immediately after a seemingly workable solution was at hand, word began to circulate that the site was a non-starter because of contamination problems, which was later confirmed by Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker.

The sudden reversal has raised many questions as to who knew what and when, as some parties were clearly caught off guard by the announcement, and were still intent on moving forward at the site, despite what appears to be an indication that phase II environmentals confirming the contamination had been completed for some time. Mayor Bryant's letter appears below.


Due to some misunderstandings and misinformation that has surfaced in the past week, below is a brief synopsis of what has transpired since January 2012 in the joint efforts of the City of Palmetto, Manatee County and Manatee County School Board to provide suitable fields for the North River Little League:

• In January, 2012, the Manatee County attorney’s issued an opinion that it is appropriate for County impact fees to be used to fund the construction of regional little league fields in Palmetto, as has been done elsewhere in Manatee County.

• On May 15, 2012, Manatee County made a public announcement of the environmental contamination at the Blackstone Park Little League field site.

• On May 16, 2012,  I asked Manatee County to consider modifying the softball fields at Blackstone Park to make them suitable for use by the Little League and seek cooperation of the adult softball leagues to accommodate the modifications until appropriate fields can be built in Palmetto for the Little League.

• On May 21, 2012, at its regularly scheduled meeting, Palmetto City Commission confirmed the Mayor's request that Manatee County modify the softball fields at Blackstone Park so they could be used temporarily for Little League play.

• County Administrator Ed Hunzeker has advised me that Manatee County has contacted the DEP regarding the environmental issues on the property north of Blackstone Park.

• I believe the DEP's input will be necessary to resolve the environmental contamination issues north of Blackstone Park. 

• Once the cost and timeline for remediation is established, it is my recommendation to the Palmetto City Commission that the City of Palmetto allocate the funding that the City has reserved for the fields towards that cost, provided the cost and timeline are reasonable.

• I was not provided with the soil test results on any parcels on or adjacent to Blackstone Park.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, we have continued to pursue the possibility of an alternative site in the event the Blackstone Park issues cannot be resolved in such a manner as to provide a safe environment for the Little League: 

• The City of Palmetto has re-opened discussions with the owner of the property known as the Guthrie parcel.

• The City of Palmetto is currently awaiting the results of a Phase II Audit on the Guthrie parcel.

• The City of Palmetto and the owners of the Guthrie parcel are also awaiting results of an appraisal which is being obtained at the shared expense of both parties. 

• A local architect has already provided, on a pro bono basis, a conceptual rendering of the ballfields as they could be constructed on this parcel, to ensure that the size is adequate and the same has been provided to the Manatee County Administrator for the County's consideration and input.

The City of Palmetto continues to pursue all possible avenues to expedite the construction of regional baseball fields for the benefit of all of the children in Manatee County and most particularly those living north of the Manatee River.

Shirley Groover Bryant
Mayor
City of Palmetto