Lakeville youth baseball league asks town to let volunteers repair Ted Williams fields and seeks fee relief

Andy Burnap, president of the Freetown Lakeville Athletic Association, told the Lakeville Parks Commission that the Ted Williams fields have deteriorated to a "borderline safety concern," citing uneven infields, poor drainage, protruding home plates and spotty lighting that affect play and increase injury risk. "The continued deterioration of the playing surfaces have become a borderline safety concern," Burnap said, and asked the commission "to allow us to partner with the town on field cleanup and repairs" while seeking relief from a near-threefold increase in field-usage fees.

Burnap and other FLAA leaders said the league—which they said currently enrolls more than 300 children—can provide volunteer labor, some materials and grant-writing support if the town will permit league crews and contractors to work on the fields. "Use us to leverage the families of our 300 plus children as volunteer manpower," Burnap said, and "rely on the experience of our board" to facilitate improvements. FLAA vice president Justin Barricchione described prior attempts to bring trucks and equipment onto the fields being blocked by permit or access restrictions: "We've been told that we're not allowed to have our equipment on the field, meaning trucks or motors or skid steers," he said, adding that those rules make it difficult for volunteers to perform needed repairs.

League board member Carlos Lopes and others proposed a written agreement that would set responsibilities and permit limited volunteer or contractor work while preserving town oversight. Lopes cited a contractor estimate of roughly $25,000 per field to bring the site to tournament-grade condition and said restoring fields could permit Lakeville to host tournaments and bring hotel and restaurant revenue to the area. League members also emphasized short-term projects—replacing lights to enable night games, repairing base paths, and improving bathroom/concession areas—as priorities that could be addressed sooner than larger capital work.

Commission members acknowledged the fields' poor condition but reiterated that some maintenance responsibilities historically fell to the leagues. One commission member explained that a long-ago budget change shifted more maintenance to league partners and that current town costs (water, electricity, wages, equipment) require the commission to collect fees: "We don't like having to charge you $26 a person... but everything costs money," a member said. Commissioners pressed FLAA for documentation before any on-field work: certificates of insurance, a liability rider if a third-party business is involved, a written one- to three-year plan of proposed work, and vendor quotes. The commission said it would need advance notice—typically a week or two—so town staff could coordinate permitting and oversight and avoid damaging irrigation or creating safety hazards.

As next steps, commissioners asked FLAA to produce a prioritized plan and vendor estimates and promised to share examples of town league agreements (FLAA members said KP Law previously approved similar arrangements in neighboring Freetown). The commission's staff member Peter was asked to provide the league application materials and to confirm timelines for submission. "If you want to put a plan together, let us know what you're thinking," a commission member said. FLAA representatives said they would forward KP Law-authorized lease examples, vendor itemized lists and a baseline assessment so the commission can budget and coordinate improvements.

The meeting produced no change to the existing fee schedule at that time; instead, the parties agreed to continue negotiations through exchanged documentation and a formal plan. The commission flagged safety constraints—wet fields, irrigation lines and the need for staff presence during certain operations—and said volunteer projects that modify field grade or require heavy machines would require written agreements and appropriate insurance. The group set a follow-up process rather than taking immediate policy action.

The Parks Commission expects to review FLAA's plan and vendor quotes at a subsequent meeting; the commission also reminded all leagues that registration numbers (requested two weeks after the season starts) and application forms are required for scheduling and liability tracking.