Long‑running softball league asks city to return electricity bills and help install safety netting after lighting grant

Jack Hackett, director of a decades‑old amateur softball league, asked the council during public comment for help with ongoing electricity costs and for assistance to erect safety netting along a field where foul balls have damaged nearby houses.

Background and request: Hackett said the league took over paying electricity and lighting maintenance in 2015 and that over nine seasons the league spent about $16,000 on electricity and on bulbs that cost roughly $90 each. He said the league applied for and received a grant—he described it as about $400,000—to replace old metal poles and install modern lighting, and that the new lights will be activated on May 5. He asked the city to consider taking over electricity costs so team entry fees can be lowered and to help install two poles to support netting, a project the league cannot manage alone.

Why it matters: Hackett said the league provides recreational opportunities for teams and youth, helps keep fields active, and that netting is needed after a history of property damage. He also said the league is properly insured. Park maintenance staff and CDA officials were asked to follow up; one councilor asked the clerk to check whether a 2021 resolution addressing league lighting exists.

Council response: Councilors and CDA staff said they would follow up with the parks and community‑maintenance departments; CDA staff said they would inquire whether leftover grant funds could be used to erect netting and requested Hackett meet with the department director to detail needs.