Committee recommends county approve two-year $500-a-year lease for Chandler Field batting cages

Greg Grisham asked the Woodford County Contracts and Leases Committee on Wednesday to approve a two-year lease for the indoor batting-cage facility at Chandler Field and said his group’s board had already agreed to the terms. "We were looking to lease the BH facility, which is the indoor batting cages up at Chandler Field," Grisham said. "We think a two-year lease for $500 per year is fair."

The committee’s chair and county attorney said the draft lease mirrors other recent county agreements and assigns responsibility for utilities and insurance to the lessee. The chair said the county would like the lease to begin Dec. 1. "We would like to see this begin the first of December," the chair said.

Rich Pickter, director of parks and recreation, endorsed the arrangement, saying revenue generated by the facility would be reinvested in maintenance and improvements: "They're gonna take what they can generate off the building, put back into the building, which is ultimately what everybody wants."

Committee members asked about hourly rental rates; Grisham and Pickter confirmed a $61 charge for 1.5 hours aligns with past park charges. After brief discussion the committee moved to recommend approval to the full fiscal court. "So moved," Squire Varner said; Squire Gentry seconded the motion. The committee called for ayes and the chair said the motion carries. The committee will forward the recommendation and the original lease will be signed by county officials prior to full-court consideration.

The recommendation does not itself enact the lease; the full Woodford County Fiscal Court must consider and vote on the agreement at a subsequent meeting.