- February 24, 2025
A few staff members will be cut but overall costs will go up
The City Commission agreed at their March 17 meeting to spend an extra $76,867 annually to maintain the turf at the Sport Complex and other city facilities. The Leisure Services Department requested the increase so that a professional landscaping company could be hired.
The city maintains 71 acres of turf, including four T-ball fields, 10 soccer fields, three multipurpose fields, nine baseball fields and eight softball fields. Leisure Services Director Robert Carolin said there are 8,027 field uses per year (both games and practice).
The contract was awarded to Austin Outdoor, which was the successful low bidder of $505,766.50. The company will be responsible for mowing, edging, fertilization, pest control, weed control, general site cleanup, etc.
At a workshop earlier this year, Carolin told the commissioners that an outside company could provide a healthier, more playable surface, would bring in top experts in turf management and pesticide usage, and could also bring in extra staff when necessary.
“We feel confident it’s the right thing to do,” Carolin said.
He said they currently only have one spray technician and an insect infestation can destroy a field almost overnight.
“We had web worms, and by the time we got to the last field it was brown,” he said.
The Leisure Services Department currently has 10 employees. Hiring the outside company will allow the city to eliminate seven full-time positions. However, only three employees will be affected, Finance Director Kelly McGuire said at the meeting, because three positions are vacant and one employee will be transferred.
Carolin said part-time positions will be created, so that staff will be available to work on weekends without requiring overtime. The end result will be three full-time and four part-time employees. The employee reduction will mean a cost savings, but with the cost of the contract, the overall total budget for the athletic field services division goes up to $987,628, which is $76,867 higher.
At a Leisure Services Advisory Board meeting last fall, the members voted unanimously against the plan. Chairman Doug Wigley said he had never heard any complaints about the fields.
But Carolin told the board that the city came close to losing the Wendelstedt Umpire School contract because of the weed-infested condition of the fields.
He also said one field at the Sports Complex was shut down because of weed infestation and he had received complaints about a soccer field last season.
City Manager Joyce Shanahan agreed with the contract for outside services in a recent interview.
“It would cost more but give us a higher level of service,” she said. “It would allow us to work on things that we are good at like lining the fields and getting them ready to play; organizing and helping the teams; and making sure all of the equipment is available. We need specialists at spraying for bugs and field maintenance.”
City Commissioner James Stowers suggested at the workshop that the city raise rental fees to make up the added cost.
“If we’re going to have higher quality, the users should pay more,” he said.
Commissioner Troy Kent said at the workshop that he understands that city staff are not experts at turf and pest control, but did not like the added cost.
“It all makes sense except for the dollars,” he said. Kent was not present at the Commission meeting where the contract was approved for medical reasons.
Commissioner Partington said that the city has the premier facilities for youth sports in the area and should maintain them at a high level.
The commissioners approved the additional costs unanimously with Kent absent.
