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Trappe council approves grant application for girls softball field at Home Run Baker Park
Summary
The Trappe Town Council voted to approve a grant application to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for a girls softball field at Home Run Baker Park; the town will manage construction funding while a joint-use agreement with Talbot County would assign ongoing maintenance if the grant is awarded.
Trappe Town Council voted to approve a grant application to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Community Parks and Playground Program to create a girls softball field at Home Run Baker Park.
Cheryl Lewis presented the completed grant application and told the council the Talbot County Parks and Recreation board supported the Town’s application. Lewis said she recommended submitting a draft joint-use agreement with the state application but withholding signatures until the State reviews the agreement. "The joint-use agreement is only needed if the Town receives the grant and the State cannot sanction the Town to maintain the park if the County fails to do so," Lewis said.
Assistant Town Attorney Carly Landolfi told the council the draft joint-use agreement lays out responsibilities for construction and maintenance. "Paragraphs 3, 4 and 6 of the draft joint-use agreement in the grant application packet states that the Town’s responsibility ends when the project construction has been completed and turned over to the County," Landolfi said. She and Lewis said the Town would manage construction and the grant funds but would not perform ongoing maintenance; the County would continue maintenance under the joint-use arrangement and the Little League would handle field upkeep.
Council members asked for basic project details. Mr. Bowman raised questions about field orientation, parking and lighting; Lewis said "no lighting is included in this proposal due to the cost and the County is aware of the parking issues and it is being looked into." The proposal, as described in the packet, excludes lighting to limit costs.
Commissioner Jeremy Newnam moved to approve the grant application "as submitted," and Commissioner Michael Sullivan seconded. The motion passed with Newnam, Sullivan, President Schmidt and Commissioner Rose Potter voting yes (Potter’s yes was contingent on the joint-use agreement being put in place); Commissioner Walter Chase abstained. The council recorded the motion as approved. The council will submit the grant application to the State and pursue finalization of the joint-use agreement only if the grant is awarded.
The action keeps the application on schedule and assigns project management to the Town while leaving ongoing maintenance to Talbot County and the Little League if the grant is successful.
