A representative of a local softball association asked the Wasilla Parks and Recreation Commission to consider a multi-year expansion plan for Bumpus Ballpark that would add two fields, install all‑weather turf, and improve access, parking and restrooms.

The request, presented to the commission during a public meeting, was accompanied by engineering drawings, a contractor proposal and a plan binder the group distributed to commissioners and staff. “We are very excited to hear from the City Council that there’s plans to install bathrooms and pave the parking lot at the ballpark this fall,” the presenter said.

The association says current demand exceeds capacity: the complex has capacity for 48 teams under the current four‑field schedule (three games per field nightly, roughly 6:30 p.m., 7:40 p.m. and 8:50 p.m.), and organizers said they have been turning teams away. The group told the commission it expects large summer tournaments — one presenter referred to a men’s tournament in July that draws roughly 32–35 teams — and cited participating teams from across Alaska including Anchorage, Homer, Kenai, Talkeetna, Big Lake and Nome.

The expansion plan presented would add two fields to the four‑field complex and include two all‑weather turf fields intended to be playable earlier in the season than dirt surfaces. “If we did that, we could accommodate the high school tournament in the spring,” the presenter said, adding that local high school spring tournaments bring roughly 30 teams and currently struggle to find playable sites in late April.

The softball group said it has been saving funds and assembling plans for about three years, hired a local engineering firm and obtained a proposal from a contractor in Anchorage. The group also described substantial volunteer and in‑kind labor available from its membership, which it estimated at about 750 members, and reported $9,800 in membership spending on fencing repairs this year and a recent 14‑yard delivery of infield dirt.

Presenters identified two near‑term capital requests: (1) city support or permission to build a small access road behind the ballpark so heavy equipment and dump trucks can reach the expansion area, and (2) consideration of a contractor quote to install foul poles. The group said the access road is outside the scope of what the softball organization can reasonably fund and asked to partner with the City of Wasilla and Public Works staff on the access and longer term phases.

On the equipment quote, the presenter submitted a McKinley Fence bid to the commission: $6,000 for recent fence repairs (work already done by the association) and a separate quote of $3,800 to supply and install eight 12‑foot galvanized foul poles (three‑inch posts). The presenter asked whether Parks & Rec or city resources could help fund or install the poles.

When a committee member asked about insurance for volunteers and contractors working on the site, the presenter said the organization carries liability insurance under its annual management agreement with the city: “We do have liability insurance for our board as well as in conjunction with the management agreement that we sign every year with the city.”

The presenter asked to be placed on the Parks & Rec agenda in September to allow commissioners time to review the plan and come back with questions. Commission members welcomed the submission and praised the volunteers’ maintenance work; one member encouraged commissioners and staff to value organizations that invest time and labor into city assets.

No formal commission vote or funding decision was taken at the meeting. The association distributed copies of its plan to commissioners and staff and requested a future agenda slot to discuss next steps and questions with Parks & Rec and Public Works staff.

Ending

Commission staff and the presenter agreed to follow up: the group will appear on a future Parks & Rec agenda for more detailed review, and staff were asked to coordinate with Public Works on access and technical questions. No commitments of city funding or timeline were made at the meeting.