Council approves three-year agreement with youth baseball; lighting, ARPA funds and indemnity remain unresolved

The Ceres City Council on May 12 approved a three-year agreement allowing Ceres Youth Baseball (CYB) continued use of Costa Fields, but the vote followed extended public comment and council questioning about lighting upgrades, the source of funding, and contract indemnity.

Douglas Dunford, the city manager, presented the agreement and a timeline of how the city’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations were budgeted and moved among projects. Staff said the city received ARPA allocations in two installments and that most funds had to be encumbered by Dec. 31, 2024; surplus ARPA dollars then allowed staff to reallocate funds into other priorities such as ADA upgrades. Dunford said the city “did not give money to CYB” directly and that staff had moved ARPA funds among council-approved projects to meet encumbrance rules.

CYB representatives and residents urged the council to require or guarantee lighting upgrades — in particular lights for Field 3 — to be completed by year-end or to tie them to grant commitments. George, speaking for CYB, said the group had repeatedly brought bids and follow-up documentation to the city and complained of delays and inconsistent communication: “We offered it and we did it. And now I’m finding out that this happened until the end of the year when the money was there … I feel that we're beating a dead horse. I just want to move forward.” He asked that the contract include a deadline for Field 3 lighting or that the council reduce the fee if work does not occur.

City staff and legal counsel clarified that the contract’s indemnity language is standard and is intended to cover activities that CYB conducts on city property, not routine city facility maintenance. Staff said the usual interpretation is that the city remains responsible for maintenance of city-owned facilities (bleachers, sprinklers, building systems) while activity-related risks are carried by the event operator. A staff attorney summarized: the indemnity is intended to be “limited only to services or activities, not facilities.”

CYB and community members pressed for use of outside grant funding. Jake Torres of Alliance Building Solutions told the council his firm could perform lighting retrofits — including interior and LED exterior upgrades and shaded solar parking — and that, if approved, “the installation for the lighting can start as soon as four to six weeks from approval,” pending required procurement and prevailing-wage compliance.

Council members expressed sympathy for CYB’s long-running requests but emphasized the legal and budgetary limits on committing city funds before the FY 2025–26 budget is adopted. Several members said staff should continue negotiating contract language with CYB and pursue available grants; others encouraged bringing any binding funding commitment back to the council in a separately noticed, budgeted action.

The council approved the agreement (motion to approve item 10 on the consent calendar) with a 4–1 vote. Council Member James Casey voted no, saying he could not support approving the contract as presented while lighting and other detailed commitments remained unresolved. Council and staff agreed to continue discussion about grant opportunities (including a possible T grant) and to circulate updates to council as information develops.

What’s next: Staff will continue negotiating final contract revisions with CYB, pursue potential grant funding for lighting upgrades, and return to the council if any action would require encumbering city funds or changing the FY25–26 budget.