SOFTBALL Wauseon City Councilor Shane Chamberlin far right begins a lengthy discussion about new softball fields at Biddle Park This discussion leads to disagreements and agreements being shared throughout the conversation that took place over the course of nearly 18 minutes Following discussion no action was taken and the topic remained tabled for the time being
By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
The Wauseon City Council held their meeting on Monday, March 18th. The meeting began at 5:00 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence.
Minutes from the March 4th council meeting and Committee of the Whole meeting held on March 14th were approved before council moved on to hear committee reports.
The report for the Tree Committee meeting held on March 5th was discussed first. The tree code changes were discussed in this meeting, with a final rough draft being expected sometime next month.
The Park Board meeting held on March 12th was discussed next. Work on the playground at Homecoming Park was touched on first, with it being asked how much work city crews would be able to do.
Public Service Director Keith Torbet stated that the majority of the work will need to be done by professionals. It was then stated that the Rotary building has also had its new carpet installed and that blinds have been ordered. A new HVAC system will also be worked on next.
Lastly, it was stated that the Park Board had informed the Finance Committee that the redoing of softball fields at Biddle Park had been tabled for now.
Councilor Shane Chamberlin then spoke about the Park Board meeting minutes and asked Mr. Torbet about his comments during the meeting.
Mr. Chamberlin stated Mr. Torbet was on record saying organized sports are on a downturn, and then asked Mr. Torbet if he believes that organized sports are on a downturn. Mr. Torbet answered the question in the affirmative, with some of the following conversations taking place thereafter.
“I would love for you to attend a sporting event with me, because of what I personally experience is completely contrary to that.”
“So, I’m disappointed to hear that, you know Keith, but I’ve often wondered, you know, why stuff doesn’t happen at Biddle Park, and I’ve always wondered why.”
“I think this is an indication as to why because you feel there’s no demand for it. So, it does trickle down from the top, and so this provides clarity for me. And unfortunately, that is going to be a hurdle that we as council, if we’re interested in further developing Biddle Park, that we’re going to constantly run into. Is your opinion that more infrastructure out there isn’t warranted because there’s no demand when I disagree,” said Mr. Chamberlin.
Mr. Torbet then responded, “Well Shane, I’m just going by strict numbers on our programs. We have a lot of programs being done, with programs using ballfields, are stagnant and have not increased.”
“The reason Biddle Park was put in there in the first place, was not for tournaments. It was for our kids to be playing at the same place, instead of having to be all over the city. And I want council to remember that’s the reason it was put there in the first place. Not to bring in money to the city but for our kids. Plain and simple.”
Mayor Kathy Huner then spoke with the following. “If you just heard what you heard, I have not heard that, but I also look at stats.”
“We have soccer, we have midget football, we have softball, we have baseball, we have a lot of other things. And I know Shane you’ve mentioned how this is personal to you, softball, you’ve made that comment a couple of times. I feel the same way about football.
“That’s something that I found, but you got to go by numbers of what’s needed, and I also feel that, if it’s nationwide, I don’t feel as though we could sit there and condemn Wauseon because the numbers are down nationwide.”
“It would be like that for anything. But what can we do to better it? I think there’s been a couple options for the softball program.”
“I’ve talked with the superintendent of Wauseon Schools, and they want to keep their softball program on their campus. They want to look at Bob Lammon Field, they want to do some things to encourage it.”
“I still am in favor of trying, not just for softball but for baseball, softball to be able to do those fields and make them work for both softball and baseball. And if numbers go up then we need to increase it.”
Discussion then went on for another 15 minutes between members of council, Mayor Huner, and Public Service Director Keith Torbet. Councilor Chamberlin, in his words, made comments of there being disparity due to the fact that there are no softball fields at Biddle Park and that all of the fields are only baseball fields or multipurpose fields.
Mayor Huner also stated that she had spoken to the Rotary individuals who began the Biddle Park program back in 1999 or 2000, and that the main quads were supposed to be softball fields, but they were not divided correctly, and the fields were made mostly baseball fields.
“Baseball got that pushed, for all baseball. That was wrong. But, with the numbers where they are at, not just in Wauseon but everywhere, I still feel if we would make them to where you could have more softball tournaments, more baseball tournaments, and then if the softball increases, we’ve got the field to do it.”
“Or if the midget football increases, they have huge numbers, or soccer increases. We have that field to do that. But at least put something in there for the softball now to see if it would even move forward.”
“It’s not that we’re saying no to softball, it’s that we’re saying what does that park need more. Which sport, because I can tell you, you can get tons of people in here for football, you can get tons of people in here for soccer.”
“Those soccer players used to play in the ditch at Homecoming. Now they have a nice soccer field, they want more so they can hold more tournaments.”
“I agree that the softball teams got denied those fields, but that was not of our doing, none of us were on council at that time,” said Mayor Huner.
Mayor Huner was then asked what she was a proponent of when it comes to the softball fields. Mayor Huner responded with, “I am all for $40,000 that he brought forward for the Finance Committee to do this and see what happens and make more softball happen down there.”
“And then leave it up to the softball to see how it goes. But I agree with Keith, I’m more concerned about getting our own kids in Wauseon to play down there, and to get those fields filled up that way, from a young age on up.”
Councilor Sarah Heising then spoke, saying, “If the fields aren’t there it doesn’t matter who you are you still can’t use them.”
Mayor Huner asked Heising what she meant by not being able to use the fields, with Heising’s response being, “If the fields don’t exist you can’t use them.”
Mayor Huner responded with, “They are being used Sarah. They are being used, and the softball tournaments are not filling those fields, and neither are the baseball tournaments.”
“What’s filling them right now if you look at the numbers from WRA is soccer and midget football. So, why aren’t we talking about that. It’s like we’re only talking because we feel like the girls are being denied.
“They were denied when that park was created. I am for putting in the change, I think that’s great. At least it gives us an idea of what would happen. Is it a brand-new field, no.”
“But I look at that kind of money that we’re talkin’ for a brand-new field, on a nationwide dying of this kind of sport.”
“I’d like to see some of that money go into some other things in the city like infrastructure underneath which we’ve talking about. I want to see the girls get treated fairly. I’ve never been against that.”
“I would like to see us at least start moving forward, like when I talked to the superintendent, what are your intentions. I mean I would like to know if you would like to play over there if we built and he said no, we’re going to play in our own campus.”
“Like Keith said, we were all over the city until Biddle was built. I’m not against the $40,000 and see if we can get more teams to come in and play and then go from there.”
Discussion continued, with councilor Brandon Tijerina stating that he liked the idea Mayor Huner was putting forward. “I like that idea, primarily because if we expand the park that’s already a headache and gross looking, then it’s only gonna be more of a mess and upkeep.”
“So, if we start and pilot with what you’re on board with, and with the golf carts legalized that’s pretty cool. I think that’s a really good pilot mayor, doing the $40,000, not a massive investment of $210,000 or whatever it is, because that’s a lot of money for the next four years you’re wanting to do that. But seeing if we can, if the nationwide downturn is fake news, or it’s an actual thing.”
Councilor Chamberlin spoke next with the following. “You know, not to put either of you on the spot Keith or Mayor, you guys can write your opinion if you’d like. But do either of you see the expansion of Biddle Park as an opportunity for economic development.”
Mayor Huner responded with, “Well when we did that survey, and I handed that out to all of these guys because none of them were here at the time Shane.”
“I really feel that he stated it might bring more people in, but you got to bring the teams in, and a lot of those teams are not gonna be local.”
“And that’s what it said, you’re going to be pulling from Indiana and all of that. So, I don’t know if that would benefit us, I really don’t.”
“I’ve watched soccer and I’ve seen how many teams come in there cause a lot of people don’t have soccer fields yet. Would that benefit that park more and bring in more soccer tournaments, because that seems to be encouraging, or the one sport we don’t even have is lacrosse. That’s a huge growing sport.”
“I do feel that, if we have tournaments, no matter if it’s the Tiny’s Tournament, softball tournament, soccer tournament, they’re going to go and eat at some of our restaurants and maybe go to some of the Walmart stores or whatever.”
“But being like you, going into tournaments, you’re gonna take your cooler, you’re gonna go to the tournament, you’re gonna stay there. We have really one hotel that’s available, hopefully, two soon.”
“That’s all county, you know. So, it’s like, does a $210,000 that was quoted a few years ago, which it’s going to be more because it’s been a few years since we’ve done that survey.”
“Is it worth putting all that money into that for a what if, or do we try to build it by making these fields versatile to bring in more tournaments of baseball, more tournaments of softball, and maybe see what we can do for the other sports in that space.”
Councilor Chamberlin spoke next and put forth the following. “I think we all can agree that increased traffic into our city would help with the local economy. And if we were to have eight softball fields or eight baseball fields and be able to compete CYO, and Kokomo, and North Ridgeville, and we might be able to host events here, that would increase the motor vehicle traffic.”
“And they would visit our local vendors and support our local economy. I think it’s a win-win, I think it’s a good investment. Especially when we hear things like IAC closing, losing some of their employees.”
“I just don’t see opportunity for economic development really discussed much, when I think it’s important, and this is an opportunity to expand our local economy. I just don’t think we’re taking advantage of it.”
Mayor Huner then stated that industry is coming into the city and that Wauseon is growing. Discussion continued for a short time later before council moved on to hear about the Finance Committee meeting.
The meeting saw discussions regarding the upgrading of the Fire Department Bay Structure “Shore Lines” at a cost of $17,000, four new door locks inside the building at a cost of $12,987, and two budget adjustment requests from the Director of Finance.
Council then moved to approve each of these three measures. Department head reports followed next before council moved to approve the following legislative items. The first reading of Resolution 2024-10 to adopt the County 9-1-1 Final Plan.
The first reading of Resolution 2024-11 authorizing the Wauseon Fire Department to enter into a memorandum of understanding for participation in the Fulton County Special Response Team.
The first reading of Resolution 2024-12, to amend Ordinance 2023-8, Annual Appropriation Ordinance by authorizing the Director of Finance to increase or decrease certain line account appropriations within the various funds listed within the year of 2024.
The first reading of Resolution 2024-13 authorizing the mayor or her designee to enter into various agreements necessary for the installation of new shorelines in the fire department and declaring an emergency. The second reading of Resolution 2024-9 accepting the annexation petition of nine parcels.
The topic of discussion then moved on to new business, with council moving to approve a list of mayoral appointments, which listed Kevin Hite to the Planning Commission from 2024-2029. The list of bills were then approved by council before the meeting was adjourned at 5:51 p.m.
