The Rockford City Council considered an ordinance July 21 to authorize a funding agreement with the International Women’s Baseball Center (IWBC) for field and capital improvements at Beyer Park, 311 15th Avenue, providing up to $300,000 annually for up to five years with a required dollar-for-dollar match from IWBC. The council identified casino revenue as the proposed funding source.

The ordinance was presented by Alderman Wilkins as part of seven planning-and-development items placed before the council. City Administrator Todd Cagnoni said the city’s payments are structured as reimbursements for completed work: “we're not giving them money in advance to the work. We're actually—we'll get receipts or invoices of the work that's being completed, and then we can confirm that it has been completed.”

The structure matters to some council members because the IWBC is pursuing a larger project that includes an indoor museum and activity center across the street from Beyer Park. Administrator Cagnoni said the funding agreement before council covers only field improvements and an outdoor museum; he said the museum/activity-center fundraising “has a significant way to go.”

Council members pressed for specifics. Alderman Durkee asked whether IWBC had made fundraising progress and whether the city’s agreement includes a clawback if the broader project is not completed. Director Hamrick characterized the contract as a “reimbursement agreement” and said the city could consider a breach of the agreement if the organization failed to meet its requirements, adding, “we may have recourse at that point.”

Other councilors asked whether the planned improvements would enable Beyer Park to host higher-level tournaments. Administrator Cagnoni said the work—fencing, lighting and restroom improvements among other items—was intended to bring the field closer to the standards needed to host larger events and that the organization had secured commitments to hold the Women’s World Classic stage series in Rockford in summer 2026. He added that tournament organizers often use multiple fields across the community to meet tournament needs.

Alderman Prunty asked whether the city would have a seat on IWBC’s board; the administration said the city does not have board representation. Alderman Schubert urged prudence in using the city funds and noted the dollar-for-dollar match requirement as a safeguard.

The transcript shows the ordinance was placed before council for roll-call consideration; the meeting record in the transcript stops after the roll call was requested and does not include an explicit final vote result in the recorded excerpt.

Why this matters: the funding uses restricted casino revenue and would direct public dollars to a nonprofit-run sports facility. The improvements are directly tied to Rockford’s ability to host regional and international women’s baseball events and to ongoing private fundraising for an adjacent museum and activity center.

Details extracted from the meeting: the funding amount is $300,000 per year for up to five years; the agreement requires a dollar-for-dollar match; funding source is casino funds; the contract is structured as a reimbursement agreement; the Women’s World Classic stage series is expected in Rockford in summer 2026; the museum/activity center fundraising status was described as incomplete. The transcript does not record final vote tallies for the ordinance in the provided excerpt.

Next steps: the legal director was instructed to prepare the ordinance language and the council moved the item to roll-call consideration. Additional council questions requested clarifications about termination/clawback language and IWBC’s fundraising status before any further action.