“I have a price for what new lights might cost for the field. This price is not
poured in concrete, but it could cost $23,000 for new lights,
” said Harper.
Harper also explained that the project would need to be bid.
“Let me share what the problem is. The old lights on the field will burn, but
parts cannot be found for them because they are not available,
” said Harper.
“What we have done over the past several years is rob the lights on this field
just to keep the other fields going.
“With the new lights, it does not take as many lights to keep them going.”
According to councilor Scotty Sanderson, the old lights consist of five rows to
light the field. The new lights only have two rows.
The council also wants to replace the fence and the backstop at the field.
Sanderson explained the bids received on the new fence.
“I have two bids for the fence and the backstop. Looking at the lights and the
fence with a backstop, we are looking at approximately $50,000,
” said Sanderson.
“Once the field is fixed up, it can be used for softball and baseball.”
During the regular meeting, Harper explained the lowest bid for the fence and
backstop for the field was $20,100.
The council agreed to advertise for bids for the lights on the field.
“The $23,000 was simply a verbal commitment for what the lights might cost. They
have not been bid yet,
” said Harper.
Councilor Shane Stidham motioned to accept the lowest bid of $20,100 from
Superior Fence Company in Hamilton and councilor Annette Sherrill seconded. The
vote was unanimous.
Adding fields
During the work session, the mayor asked why the high school played their games
on a field belonging to the city.
“I am not trying to be smart. I simply just do not understand it,” said Harper.
Stidham explained that is just always the way its been done. “I don’t think another city does it any other way. The high school has always played on
the city
’s field,” said Stidham.
Stidham further explained there were not enough fields for teams to play on
right now. The city currently has seven fields.
“We only have four fields that can be used for boys baseball. Then we have the
girls fast-pitch, and they have three fields. That is for the seven-12 age
group.
”
“We might be looking at one field right now with four teams playing on one field,” Stidham said.
“In my league, there are three teams and those three teams have to practice and
play. So we might have 40 kids on that one field.
“My league has to share it with another league, so now we are looking at another
two or three teams on that field. On a night a team plays, they can
’t practice.”
Councilor Richard Gann was with the mayor on why the city needed more fields.
“I know that when we came through school, Hamilton was a 5A school. We have lost
people. Our population has dropped. We have lost kids. I don
’t understand why we think we need these ball fields,” said Gann.
Stidham asked the mayor and the rest of the council to look at the school system
from the sixth-grade backwards.
“This 3A won’t last long. Look at the elementary school. It’s as big, if not bigger, than it has been in the past. They have more students
now than when we went through school.
“The other thing is, our city hasn’t really done anything. If we don’t market our rec center and don’t put something into it, then we are not going to get anything out of it.”
According to Sanderson, the elementary school is adding another teaching unit
next fall.
The mayor asked how many fields the City of Winfield has. Stidham explained that
Winfield currently has six fields with plans to add two more.
According to Sherrill, Winfield acquired the money from Sen. Roger Bedford.
Gann asked if anyone had thought of asking Bedford to do the same for Hamilton.
Councilor McDavid Franks then asked why the city was furnishing a field for a
county school.
Stidham said again that it’s always been that way and it always will be.
“I feel like we need to give back to the school because right now, we are giving
them squat,
” said Stidham.
The mayor and council agreed to contact Bedford to look at the possibility of
adding new fields.
