City commissioners and neighborhood volunteers marked what they described as a milestone: after years of advocacy, the Azalea Park Little League fields will move from county to city ownership.

Commissioner Bakari Ortiz recounted a 15-year effort to secure the fields for the city, thanked staff and community leaders and said, “we're bringing these fields from the county to the city.” Ortiz credited staff members and local volunteers for ensuring maintenance and advocated ongoing city stewardship.

Earl Lugo, a longtime volunteer and coach who addressed the council with the mayor’s permission, told the council he began as a parent and became a coach and mentor. Lugo said he coached the same core group of youngsters over a decade and that many players finished college. “I had that team for 10 years… each and every one of them finished college,” Lugo said. He described fundraising, murals honoring Roberto Clemente and repeated efforts to secure better maintenance and sponsorships.

Why it matters: Councilors described the transfer as a neighborhood victory that will put field maintenance under city control and, they said, improve safety and long-term upkeep for youth sports.

Procedure and status: The meeting record shows the council publicly recognized community leaders and received testimony. The transcript indicates staff and the mayor were involved in negotiations over many years, but it does not show a separate, stand-alone vote at the Sept. 22 meeting explicitly authorizing the transfer; councilors and staff said the transfer effort has been completed after long negotiations.

Next steps: Commissioners said the city will assume care of the fields and maintain them; staff follow-up was discussed but specific contract, timeline and budget details were not presented during the remarks recorded in the meeting transcript.