Council approves one-year MLB lease at Bowman Field; members press for renegotiation on safety, parking and payments

Williamsport City Council on Aug. 7 voted 6-1 to authorize a one-year lease with Major League Baseball (MLB) for use of Journey Bank Ballpark at historic Bowman Field for the annual MLB Little League Classic.

The decision followed an extended exchange among council members, city staff and the mayor about the contract's financial terms and who should pay public-safety costs and other event-related expenses. Council members and staff said the current contract lacks clear language on whether MLB or the city is responsible for additional police, fire and ambulance costs beyond the customary services provided for Crosscutters home games.

Council members noted several areas they want renegotiated before future agreements: payment for public-safety staffing tied to the event, payment or rental for use of the stadium itself (MLB currently does not pay a rental fee under the existing arrangement) and whether MLB compensates for use of parking lots during the multiweek setup, event and teardown period. Councilors and the mayor said the city has staffed extra public-safety coverage for the event in recent years; one member noted that police and fire costs for last year's MLB event were approximately $22,000.

Mayor Slaughter, who presented the lease, said the city added language to the current contract to notify MLB that the city expects to renegotiate certain provisions after this year's game. Council members emphasized they want those renegotiations completed in a timely way so future contracts incorporate clearer obligations and financial responsibilities. Several council members warned against an overly adversarial stance that could jeopardize the long-standing relationship with Little League and MLB, but stressed that the city must protect taxpayer resources.

Council members asked staff for documentation of prior payments and the historic arrangement; one councilor asked whether a prior direct payment from MLB or another entity had ceased and what the prior funds were used for. Staff and the mayor said earlier payments had been allocated to stadium projects and were not necessarily used to reimburse public-safety costs, and they agreed to pursue the detailed accounting.

The motion to approve the one-year MLB lease passed 6-1 in roll call; Councilor Mackey cast the sole no vote. Council members said they plan to open negotiations with MLB after this year's event to seek clearer contractual language on public-safety cost recovery, parking and stadium-use fees.