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Community volunteers overhaul Dell Rapids baseball fields; group asks council to fund safety upgrades
Summary
A volunteer-led effort delivered dugouts, fencing, scoreboard arrangements and other repairs at Dell Rapids ballfields; presenter Lee Bullock asked the council to consider funding safety-driven maintenance, including regrading the infield and moving the backstop to meet regulation spacing.
Lee Bullock presented the council with a status update on volunteer improvements to Dell Rapids baseball and softball facilities, highlighting hundreds of volunteer hours, partnerships with the high school and local contractors, and remaining safety and regulation gaps.
Bullock said volunteers logged more than 600 hours on Field E dugouts alone and over 75 community members helped across projects. He noted the city purchased a scoreboard funded jointly with the booster club and the public school, BX Construction provided concrete work, and the high school built storage cubbies and other fixtures. "We had over 600 hours of volunteer hours...over 25 people on this project," he said.
Bullock emphasized safety concerns: consultant findings show uneven infield footing and a hazardous lip near third base that causes unpredictable ball hops, and the backstop is roughly 20 feet too close to home plate, making the field non-regulation and limiting tournament eligibility. He asked the council to consider prioritized funding for regrading, a brash (clay) infield and dugout upgrades so the city could host regional tournaments and reduce player safety risks.
Council members thanked volunteers and noted the master park plan will be coming back to the council; staff confirmed recommended corrective work is planned to start in August.
