Committee weighs who should pay to replace Sunset Park ballfield lights and tightens field use rules

The Lago Vista Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee discussed replacing six nonfunctional lights at Sunset Park and whether the cost should come from the city or the youth league.

At the meeting Speaker 4 (Ike Koronis), who identified himself as a local business owner and league advocate, said the city should pay for the replacements. “I feel it should be the city,” he said. Staff (Speaker 2) reported a vendor quote to replace the six bulbs of about $2,055 and said the city could cover the cost but recommended revising the existing agreement with Lago Vista United baseball and softball to clearly allocate maintenance responsibilities and any fees.

Committee members said the current contract leaves ambiguity about what ‘‘exclusive use’’ means and whether lights fall under the league’s maintenance obligations. Speaker 2 said the city has paused outside reservations through Jan. 31 to allow time for maintenance and to draft rules and a fee schedule that spell out who pays for which services.

Staff noted practical constraints for doing the work, such as field access for lifts and the risk to turf and irrigation if large trucks drive on the fields. Speaker 4 and other members discussed smaller pole‑mounted lifts that vendors used on recent pickleball lighting projects as a less destructive option.

The committee directed staff to obtain final quotes, propose specific language for a revised use agreement and bring a recommended fee schedule to the advisory committee for review before sending it to city council. No formal motion or binding vote was recorded at the meeting.

Next steps: staff will finalize cost estimates and draft the new agreement and fee schedule for committee consideration and later council action.