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Village manager and Upper Keys Foundation urge clarity on Founders Park baseball license agreement
Summary
At a Monroe County School Board meeting, Upper Keys Foundation and the village manager of Almorada disputed language in a proposed Founders Park baseball license agreement, with the village insisting on final approval for changes to its property and the foundation urging protection for Coral Shores baseball. Board members discussed deadlines, mediation and possible legal steps.
Deputy Superintendent Acevedo introduced public comment when Richard Russell, who identified himself as a cofounder of the Upper Keys Foundation, urged the school board to prioritize the Coral Shores baseball program while the district negotiates a license for Founders Park. Russell said the district previously yielded exclusive control of baseball facilities when Coral Shores relocated to Founders Park and warned the board to protect varsity and JV programs while the license agreement is finalized.
Ron Saunders, identified as village manager for Almorada (transcript spelling), gave the village’s perspective. Saunders said the village owns the Founders Park baseball field and described a history of interlocal agreements dating to 2001 and a new ILA in 2024 that governed recent negotiations. He told the board the village council unanimously approved a license agreement that includes artificial turf and said the village expects final approval authority for any improvements on its property, citing standard landlord‑tenant lease language that requires landlord permission for tenant renovations.
Saunders acknowledged the district sent a revised proposal with significant redlines after a school board workshop and said the village is open to resolving differences in public meetings. He said the village had formed a citizen baseball committee and had spent “hundreds of hours” on plans; he asked the board to identify specific language that the village and district could negotiate to reach an agreement.
Board members asked questions and pressed for a near‑term resolution. The board discussed rescheduling mediation in a related Ajax case and directed staff to propose a deadline; one member asked that the board consider moving forward with litigation if required documents are not provided before the next meeting. The superintendent and other staff agreed to provide a status and, if necessary, raise the issue for formal action at the board’s next meeting.
The board did not take a final vote on the license language during the meeting; board members instead discussed next steps, including deadlines, further negotiations, and whether to authorize litigation if mediation and document exchange do not produce an agreement.
