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Operations committee to send $90,000 transfer to full board to fix Lyman Hall softball field; scope scaled back from $500,000 plan
Summary
The operations committee agreed to forward a proposal to move $90,000 from a DAG field renovation to immediate fixes at Lyman Hall—covering infield clay, drainage and dugouts—but said the work is a scaled-back alternative to an original $500,000 renovation. The full board will consider the transfer at its Dec. 16 meeting.
The Wallingford School District operations committee agreed on Dec. 9 to forward to the full Board of Education a proposal to transfer $90,000 from the DAG ball field renovation to address immediate issues at the Lyman Hall softball field.
Committee members and staff said the $90,000 would pay for infield clay, drainage improvements and new dugouts only; it does not fund the broader set of improvements—visitor and home bleachers, batting cages and field relocation—included in the original, roughly $500,000 request. "This is something we're hoping to remediate the immediate concerns that we have with the Lyman Hall Softball Field," said Ms. Belizzi, who presented the 2% fund proposal.
Staff and maintenance leads said the district intends to complete the DAG baseball work already under way (concrete pads for dugouts were poured) and reallocate remaining 2% funds to Lyman Hall rather than proceeding with the full DAG softball plan. Mr. Deptula warned that several items from the original $500,000 package would not be accomplished under the modified approach: "Those other issues require moving the field," he said, noting that moving the field is not part of the proposed work.
Board members raised concerns about public expectations if the district lists the project without clarifying the reduced scope. Committee members asked staff to label the item as a "modified plan" when it moves to the full-board agenda so the public does not assume completion of the full $500,000 renovation.
By roll call the committee indicated consensus to forward the transfer proposal and related financial items to the full board for action at the Dec. 16 meeting.
What happens next: The full Board of Education will consider the $90,000 transfer at its Dec. 16 meeting; if approved, work on the Lyman Hall infield, drainage and dugouts would proceed under the limited scope explained to the committee.
