Village Council approves 20-year baseball-field license agreement with Monroe County School Board

The Village Council of Islamorada on July 27 voted 5-0 to approve an amended interlocal baseball-field license agreement with the Monroe County School Board, authorizing the village manager to execute the document that focuses on field improvements including fencing, dugouts and batting cages.

Village Manager Ron Saunders summarized years of work with citizen task forces and committees and told the council the school district would be the tenant and ‘‘has basically taken on most of those costs’’ for improvements, while the village’s net financial exposure would be limited. After brief council discussion about amortization and termination language, Councilmember Steve Friedman moved to approve the agreement; the clerk called the roll and all five council members voted yes.

Supporters at the meeting pointed to potential maintenance savings if artificial turf is installed, while several residents urged the council to keep bleacher safety and ADA access in mind. Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney and others pressed for clarity about insurance, hurricane-related (‘‘elements’’) liability and the long renewal term in the contract, but the council approved the field-focused elements and deferred decisions about buildings to a later date.

‘‘If we, the village and if we, the school board, come to an agreement, they think that comfortably they will be able to complete the field, in the fencing and the dugouts prior to season starting,’’ Village Manager Ron Saunders said during the discussion, summarizing the timetable the district provided.

The motion passed on a roll call vote (Friedman, Richards, Gillis, Mahoney and Horton all voting yes). The council then moved to adjourn.

Next steps: the school board was scheduled to consider the identical agreement at its meeting the following day in Key West; the village and school board must adopt identical language for the agreement to take effect.