Committee approves $341,547 draw to cover baseball field bills, moves bleachers and concession items to the board

The Finance & Facilities committee voted to cover $341,547.19 in bills already incurred for the municipal baseball complex by drawing that amount from Fund 10, with the expectation that fundraising pledges will reimburse the district over time.

Speaker 3 told the committee the audit revealed $2,680,000 moved into the general fund balance, and recommended using general fund balance dollars to pay bills already incurred. "There is a deficit of $341,547.19. That is paying off all the bills for all the work that has been done," Speaker 3 said.

Speaker 1 reminded the committee that, after the district accepted ownership of the municipal field, ADA compliance and bleacher repairs became district responsibilities and should not be treated as obligations of outside fundraising organizations. "Those bleachers are ours," Speaker 1 said, urging the committee to treat those costs as district obligations.

Speaker 5 moved to spend $341,547.19 from Fund 10 to pay the expenses incurred to date, with an amendment that the advance be reimbursed if and when fundraising proceeds arrive; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

On replacement bleachers, Speaker 7 said multiple bids came back and reported a figure near $97,000; members agreed to move final bid figures to the full board rather than act at committee. The committee also approved completing the concession stand (estimated at about $147,200) with the stipulation that fundraising and naming-rights revenue would be applied to reimburse district advances. The presenter reported two potential naming-rights sponsors and roughly $300,000 in pledged support expected over a two-year pledge period.

The committee also voted to rescind the prior 57-page Fund 46 planning document and to direct staff to produce an updated, prioritized list of projects aligned to available Fund 46 and referendum funds for future committee review.