Baseball association outlines $300K plan to rebuild Bird Island softball complex, asks city to cosign line of credit

Mike, a representative of the local baseball association, presented a detailed plan at the Bird Island City Council meeting for rebuilding the town’s softball complex, estimating total costs at about $300,000–$310,000 and identifying a $60,000 engineered backstop system as one of the largest single items.

Why it matters: The fields sit on city-owned property under a joint-powers arrangement with the school district; large capital costs and long-term maintenance obligations would fall to the city if volunteer leadership changes. The project therefore requires coordination between the association, the school and the city’s legal and finance staff.

Project scope and timeline: Mike said the association plans to buy scoreboards from Victory Scoreboards for both varsity and junior-varsity fields, add speakers and light standards that can be switched between baseball and softball use, expand the press box for two additional spots, install a sprinkler system, build dugouts and put in engineered backstops from Beacon Athletic. He outlined a construction sequence that includes surveying and pin-setting this week, grass seeding in mid–late August, and heavy flat work in October.

Costs and fundraising: The presenter said volunteers will donate most labor for fencing and dugout assembly and that materials and specialized equipment account for the bulk of the cost. "So total project all in is in that 300 just like we thought, 300, 310," Mike said. He also said the association has received interest from local businesses and potential lump-sum donors and that it has already paid a $3,000 upfront amount to a local contractor identified as Brian.

Line-of-credit request and city role: Mike asked whether the city would be willing to cosign a line of credit for the baseball association, describing lender requirements that the city and the school be listed and proposing tiered access—examples discussed ranged from $25,000 increments up to a possible $100,000 cap on the facility’s borrowing. "I'm not gonna access it unless I get approval for the report. I'm not gonna beg for forgiveness. I'll ask for permission," Mike said, describing how he would seek council authorization before drawing on any credit.

Council response and next steps: Council members expressed general support for keeping the project on schedule but said they must have the school involved and want city legal counsel to review any cosignature arrangement. "My only thought would be I would want to run it by the attorney to make sure that that legally, we can do that," one council member said. No formal authorization to cosign was granted; members asked for the association to provide the lender paperwork, for staff to consult the city attorney, and for the school district to confirm participation before any vote.

The council did not take formal action on the cosign request at the meeting. The item was left pending attorney review and school participation; the council indicated it would revisit the request after those conditions are met.