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Harrison Field dispute: coach, residents and county staff negotiate short‑term safety fixes and volunteer cleanup
Summary
After complaints about hazardous conditions at Harrison Field, county facilities staff identified exposed nails, damaged fencing and drug paraphernalia. The board directed staff to price short‑term hazard mitigation, draft updated waivers to permit limited county programming, and explore volunteer and sponsorship options for longer‑term maintenance.
A dispute over maintenance and access to Harrison Field dominated public comment at the Lake County Board of County Commissioners work session on June 23.
What happened: County staff said the field — a longtime community sports site near Leadville — is not currently maintained to county programming standards and reported hazards including exposed nails, broken welds on backstops, damaged fencing and evidence of drug paraphernalia in a dugout. Facilities manager Stuart told the board his crew could address some immediate hazards but that doing so would require re‑prioritizing other summer maintenance work and possibly a supplemental appropriation.
Coach Alex, who has run practices at Harrison Field for years, said he improved the field informally and argued that losing practice time harms player development. He asked the board to allow county programming to continue on a supervised basis or to authorize quick repairs so teams can use the field safely this season.
Liability and volunteer work: County legal and operations staff said they support community involvement but cautioned that unsupervised improvements on county property create insurance and liability exposure. County counsel advised that volunteer cleanup is feasible only if organized, limited in scope and accompanied by signed waivers and appropriate supervision; uncoordinated work on county‑owned property can expose both volunteers and the county. The board asked staff to draft or refresh liability waivers to enable limited, supervised county programming and organized volunteer days.
Short‑term and long‑term paths: The board directed facilities staff (Stuart) to produce an estimate of the immediate repairs and the man‑hours required; county attorney staff agreed to produce updated waivers within days. Commissioners and multiple residents suggested sponsorship models (local business banners and donations) and longer‑term capital planning (incorporating field maintenance into a county capital asset plan) as the next steps. Staff noted the time constraints of budget rules — a supplemental appropriation requires public posting and processing — so some solutions may need to be budgeted in the next fiscal cycle.
Bottom line: The board prioritized removing immediate hazards, creating signed waivers for supervised county programming, and returning with a cost estimate and a plan that allows the community to volunteer safely or pursue sponsorships for long‑term upkeep. That approach aims to balance public safety, the county’s insurance obligations and the community’s desire to keep programs running this season.
