Waymart council OKs peer review of ballfield upgrade options; next vote expected July 9

The Waymart men's softball team and Little League enthusiasts have asked for a peer review to present their recommendations on upgrading the borough ballfield, with the concern that a major state grant will expire if work on the long-awaited project does not start in 2024.

Borough council agreed on June 11 that if the review cannot be finished by the July 9 council session, the council will vote to send the project to bid.

In 2018, a $215,000 Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR) grant was obtained. Subsequent bids received for the project were too high. Project engineer Joe Gillott said that they have run out of extensions available for using this grant, which runs out Dec. 31.

Later, state Rep. Jonathan Fritz was asked to intercede for an allocation. Fritz secured another $550,000, which was deposited in the project account this May.

Mayor Charles Norella expressed thanks to Councilor Jane Varcoe for her work applying for the ballfield grants, and to Gillott for all his volunteer work on the ballfield project, adding he should be reimbursed.

Norella commented that grants are needed for other borough matters. "I personally feel it is wasting the taxpayer money," he said, to spend about $900,000 on the ballfield. He added that he felt the changes wanted can be made without spending all the money.

He said he disagrees that the borough will never be able to get another state grant if they let the DCNR grant lapse. Rather, Norella said, they can "spruce up the field" and explain to DCNR that things changed because the borough was unable to buy an adjacent parcel that Gillott states would be needed to accommodate men's softball, if the field is rotated to meet Little League requirements.

Kyle Barna, representing the Waymart men's softball team, which is part of the Wayne County Blue Collar Softball League, stated that many of their players worry about hitting balls in toward Belmont Street if the field is turned, as well as being blinded by the sun. "I also worry about many foul balls that will eventually hit a parked car," he said.

Without buying the adjoining lot, the left field fence can't be extended but would be shortened, Gillott has explained.

"Adult softball would love to use both grants in building in that magnificent complex," Barna said. "We always wanted a complex that can be continued to be used by everyone, not just ages 13 and under."

"I am asking borough council today to pass a motion to have a peer review performed on the Waymart Sports Complex project," Barna said, calling it "a collaborative opportunity for all of us to see if this current design is absolutely the best that we can do."

He said he understands the review won't cost borough taxpayer money. Barna asked that an experienced company perform the review. He noted that their annual Homer Dome game raised over $23,000 for ballfield improvements, and Little League raised thousands of dollars having the concession stand open at the Homer Dome events.

"I was here when the field was dedicated — the Bob Wilson field. He would be very upset that we have not come to a compromise on how to do this and keep this money," Varcoe said.

The Bob Wilson Athletic Field was dedicated Sept. 1, 1963, honoring Robert D. Wilson, beloved principal of Waymart High School, who was retiring then.

Varcoe said she wished Barna was right, but she did not see how they could keep the DCNR grant from expiring. "This was the best design for size of the field that we had. We went everywhere to get this money... It has been a very taxing road because we thought we were doing everything right. And now it seems we are doing it wrong."

Councilor Darren Howell, who is also part of the Waymart men's softball team, replied he did not think they were saying it was done wrong; they are just exploring their options. Council President Shane Bayly said Gillott has "exhausted all options to stretch this field" and doubted they had time for a peer review.

Gillott said since the May council meeting, they reviewed options with men's softball on site and met with a Little League representative. "We tried everything we could think of to get more out of it. The bottom line is the property is not big enough to stretch the fences and still comply with all the Little League requirements," he said.

Gillott recommended proceeding with the previous bid package, the base bid, and a "bare minimum field." He advised including a series of add-ons so pricing may be obtained on other things including a scoreboard, bleachers, and water and sewer for the concession stand. The council can then decide its funding priorities.

"I am going to recommend putting a wall out in left field to stretch the fence... right to the property line," he said.

Bayly advised it would need to be rebid; he wants to vote and move this forward. Gillott said this is a lengthy process with an August start at the earliest. Bayly asked what the peer review would accomplish.

"The peer review is just a confirmation of whether we checked all the boxes and did everything we could do to achieve the objectives of the project... It's really just to validate or invalidate what is on the table," Gillott said.

Any modification in using the $550,000 grant, Gillott said, would require state legislature approval. It was intended as a match for the DCNR grant. He cautioned that making any design modification would require reapplying for the state stormwater permit, and they must assume the original DCNR grant deadline would be missed.

The council approved having the peer review conducted before its July 9 meeting. Bayly and Varcoe voted no.

The council agreed unanimously that if the review cannot be done by then, it will send the current ballfield design to bid.

Waymart council meets on the second Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the borough offices, 128 South St.

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Waymart council OKs peer review of ballfield upgrade options; next vote expected July 9