Sales tax funds will upgrade Campbell field

    Close to $30,000 in city sales tax dollars has been committed for improvements at Campbell Park’s baseball field.
    The commitment of those funds came at the March 6 city council meeting in anticipation of the State Junior Legion Baseball Tournament here July 15-19.
    Tournament director Carl Zuege returned to the council after making a funding request last month to extend and heighten the fences from the dugouts to the outfields, along with a new, 6-foot warning track around the entire field.
    In February, council members asked him to return after acquiring costs/estimates.  
    His estimates presented last week were $18,215 from Anderson Fencing and $11,700 for the warning track rock. Volunteers will provide labor for the warning track addition, Zuege noted.
    The fence from the dugouts out are 45-50 years old, he said, and 4 feet tall. Plans are for a new, 6-foot fence that will extend out to the curbing.
    The field has no warning track now. Zuege said its addition will not only make it safer for outfielders, but be a plus for maintenance by keeping equipment and mowers from running up against the fence.
    The warning track will also run outside the fencing about 12 inches, he added.
    Aesthetically, the warning track will be a big positive, as well, Zuege said.
    A 4-0 vote approved use of sales tax funds for the field improvements.
    Tyler Pribbeno, Administrator/Community Development Director, said there is about $241,587 in the city’s community development sales tax fund.
Other field improvements
    Zuege said the improvements the city is helping fund are not the only ones the Imperial Baseball/Softball Association and tournament committee are planning in anticipation of the tournament.
    Using IBSA funds and volunteers, they also hope to enlarge both dugouts to hold more players and add concrete and a warm-up area near the batting cage.
    A new flagpole is needed, as well, and they are “entertaining offers” of donations for a possible new scoreboard. The current scoreboard is not good, but functional, he said.
    The grass removed for the warning track will be used to patch areas where needed in the field, he added.
    Plans are to use portable seating from either the school or fairgrounds for the added crowds expected during the tournament.
    Zuege estimates 500-600 people could be in Imperial during the 5-day tourney.
    The tournament committee held its first meeting March 7 with about 20 people attending.

Other council business
New city gym rules and fees gained council approval that will increase rental costs and damage deposits. For public events, the rent increased from $100 to $200 and the damage deposit is now $500, after previously at $200. Other changes include a midnight curfew and if alcohol is served, it must be by a licensed vendor. While youth sports teams, such as basketball and softball, are not charged rent, they will now be required to submit a damage deposit of $200 for the season for each key requested. The sports team form also requires that an adult be present at all times when youths are practicing in the city gym. The changes are in effect now for public events, and start May 1 for the sports teams. The changes gained park board approval at a Feb. 13 meeting, then came before the council.
For an hour and 40 minutes, the council and Mayor Craig Loeffler met in closed session on the Leibhart suit against the city. They met with their attorney, David Dudley, via zoom during the session. No action was taken after the group returned to the open meeting.
Imperial will submit a pre-application for an Affordable Housing Trust Fund Grant which is due April 9. Administrator/Community Development Director Tyler Pribbeno wants to apply for a potential $750,000 grant, which requires no cash or inkind match from the city, he said. The funds can be used for house construction, rental housing or down-payment assistance, he said, and program eligibility would be income-based.
The city renewed its participation in the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska’s Green Energy Program at the same level as it has in the past. Public Works Supt. Pat Davison said the city now purchases 5% of its power from MEAN in the form of green energy, and its per-KW price will drop slightly by about one-fourth of one cent. The new agreement starts April 1.
For smokin’ on Broadway July 15, two city streets will be closed per a resolution approved at the meeting. Closed will be Court Street from 7th to 8th and 8th Street from Broadway to Court. Seventh Street from Broadway to Court will be left open this year due to the State Junior Legion Baseball Tournament that starts July 15 at Campbell Park.
Midlands Contracting, the company building the new water main on East 12th Street, and will also complete the sewer extension for the WellPark Development housing project, will be paid ahead of the material delivery here for the two projects. The council-approved payments were $19,326.24 for the sewer work and $128,898.25 for the water main. Midlands is storing the materials at their business location. Council member Doug Gaswick wanted assurance that Midlands would assume responsibility for the material until on-site here. Work is expected to start April 1.
The mayor’s appointment of Chad Yaw to the Citizens Advisory Committee was approved. Yaw replaces Deb Hayes on the CAC, which makes recommendations to the city council on use of the economic development (LB 840) sales tax funds.
Eric McDaniel will replace former council member Chad Yaw as the city’s alternate voting member on the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska Board. Supt. Davison is Imperial’s voting member.