Last week I met with a group of people representing Madison Baseball to discuss improvements to the baseball field at Upper Town Campus (UTC). Last year our Capital Improvement Plan approved $150,000 for baseball field reconstruction. I thought that was high, and asked to reduce it to $30,000. The baseball people appealed and the Board of Finance (BOF) reinstated the $150,000 citing the need to fix deficiencies that could relate to safety and/or playability.

When we went out for proposals to do the work for the project that was specified, the lowest bid came back more than $130,000 higher than our $150,000 budget, so we were forced to look at what we could do to make improvements and stay within the budget. Madison Baseball had identified several components of the field that caused concern. They included drainage at third base, the infield surface, spectator fencing along the third base line, topographical irregularities, and some other issues that they thought might constitute safety concerns including sidelines and backstop clearances.

Safety concerns are a red flag, so our first priority was to make sure that was not an issue. Working with our insurance carrier, we had discussions about the sidelines and backstop clearances. The references that engineers use when building fields call for certain distances that are used as recommended guidelines. These recommended guidelines, however, are not set in stone, and we were told that “the term ‘recommended’ means that it is not a requirement.” That means that we can safely use our field at its current size. Hurdle One.

Regarding the topographical irregularities, everyone I spoke to said that it is not unusual for a field to have highs and lows and that it doesn’t interfere with the playability of the field because both teams are playing on the same surface. Several of them also remarked on the fact that the outfield grass is probably the best looking field in town.

Our Building and Grounds Department worked diligently to fix the drainage problem at third base and have made that issue a thing of the past. Some of the infield clay will be removed and replaced with a product that will make the field more playable, fixing yet another concern. Finally, we will erect a six-foot perimeter fence around the field for spectator and player safety (in the dugouts) that includes a concrete backstop with a tie-back tension netting system.

I go into this detail to illustrate that while we try to be fiscally responsible, we can’t cut corners to save money. This facility should hold us in good stead for the next 20 to 30 years, and I hope to return some of the money allotted to the general fund.