Council extends emergency repairs after contractor drove heavy equipment onto Royal Park field

City staff updated the council on ongoing emergency repairs at Royal Park Grandstand and described a recent incident in which electrical-contracting crews drove heavy equipment onto the playing field and caused additional damage.

City Manager and staff said the work had been covered under emergency procurement to restore safety and service quickly; because the work fell under emergency authority, the city bypassed some standard public bidding requirements for prompt repairs. Staff reported a subcontractor operated heavy equipment on the field on Sunday despite instructions not to do so, and the equipment became stuck and later damaged turf, sprinkler lines and drainage.

Frank (self-identified as the college baseball coach) told the council he and dozens of student volunteers helped recover equipment and patch the field, and he said there is a phone-recorded conversation in which the electrical subcontractor agreed not to drive machinery onto the field but did so anyway: “...they said no, and they did it anyway,” he said. Rosanna Haines, Executive Vice President of Student Administrative Services at Blossom Community College, told the council that canceled home games and travel imposed unplanned costs on the college and asked the city to explore insurance recovery for those road costs.

Council discussed options including withholding payment to the contractor, severing the contract, pursuing insurance claims, and improving on-site supervision and communication with the college for future work. Staff said some subcontractor payments have not been made and that insurance coordination and withholding funds are available remedies.

Council approved continuation/extension of emergency procurement for the work (motion carried unanimously) and directed staff to pursue contract and insurance options and to avoid leaving contractors unattended on active athletic fields in the future.