The Austin City Council had to first deny a motion to take back to committee a $68,000 allocation, before they could vote to approve the same loan for the proposed baseball fields – or field – at Riverland Community College.

Thursday, September 07, 2000

The Austin City Council had to first deny a motion to take back to committee a $68,000 allocation, before they could vote to approve the same loan for the proposed baseball fields – or field – at Riverland Community College.

The confusion between whether the money was for one or three fields was at the core of the dispute, and the reason Third Ward council member Dick Lang motioned to take the resolution back to the finance committee. He was defeated, however, by a vote of 6-1 to go ahead and put the $68,000 at the disposal of the Austin School District and the Park and Recreation Department immediately.

Second Ward council member Jeanne Poppe made the motion to go ahead and transfer the money so the school district would be assured of at least one playable ball field next spring, and maybe three fields if the $68,000 would stretch that far.

"I have no problem with loaning the school district $68,000 for a baseball field," Lang said. "My problem is I wonder if this vote is going to commit us to a lot more money down the road. For the record, I want it to stop at $68,000 because we can’t afford more."

Although Park and Recreation director Denny Maschka wasn’t at Tuesday’s council meeting, City Administrative Services Director Tom Dankert explained that the bulk of the costs associated with developing a baseball complex at Riverland would come later, after the fields are leveled. Lighting for part of the complex has been estimated at $235,000, with costs for a stadium and a concession building coming in at $200,000 each. Other costs – seeding, tiling, irrigation – come in at between $10,000 and $20,000 each.

The council finance committee voted to approve the concept of the baseball complex at their last meeting, although members pointed out at the same meeting that there is no funding currently available for the estimated $807,000 project that’s being proposed by several factions in the city but spearheaded by the Park and Recreation Department.

Also at Tuesday’s Austin City Council meeting:

n The council approved a business subsidy agreement for the Cooperative Response Center contingent on the CRC getting 75 percent of its building costs from a private financier. The Austin Port Authority will vote on a similar resolution today.

City Administrator Pat McGarvey proposed the measure to stop the ongoing public hearing, which has been continued again and again since it began in June. McGarvey pointed out that if CRC must fulfill its obligations first before Mayor Bonnie Rietz and Dankert could sign any agreements on behalf of the city.

n In a related motion, the council also authorized the actual construction contract with Ulland Brothers for the extension of Eighth Street NW north of 18th Avenue NW. The street will service the CRC once it locates in the city’s TIF (tax increment financing) district near the commercial district north of Austin, as well as any other businesses that choose to locate there. Estimated cost of construction is $247,165 and most of the construction will be completed this fall.

n Contractor Dan Carolan spoke to the council concerning building permits, asking where the money from the permits is allocated and requesting that it be spent within the building department itself. Currently building permit revenues go into the general fund, which also is the fund that takes care of the building department.

n The council approved the fall leaf collection program. Again, there will be five sites open to the public for four weekends, starting the weekend of Oct. 14-15.

n The council requested proposals again for both the Wold Drug building and the former Silver Bullet/Arcade. Proposals should be in to the city by Sept. 29. Application forms may be picked up at the city administrator’s office.