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COUNCIL COMMUNICATION
City Manager’s Office
GENERAL INFORMATION
Agenda Date: 06/20/05 Communication No.: 05-358
Agenda Item Type: Resolution Roll Call No.:
Submitted by: Eric A. Anderson, City Manager
SUBJECT—
Authorization to contribute $50,000 to Polk County for the purpose of providing a local matching grant to South Des Moines Little League (SDMLL).
SYNOPSIS—
This action would authorize the City of Des Moines to contribute a $50,000 matching fund grant to Polk County to be used in conjunction with a Vision Iowa CAT Grant for construction of the SDMLL Baseball Park.
FISCAL IMPACT—
The City of Des Moines will award a grant in the amount of $50,000 to Polk County. Funding for the grant is provided for in the 2004-2005 CIP - CP032 Eng990000 BRV003
RECOMMENDATION—
Approval
BACKGROUND—
SDMLL (David Cassady, President, 2808 Briarwood Place, Des Moines, IA 50321) applied for a CAT Grant from the Vision Iowa Program. Vision Iowa requested that the City of Des Moines make a $50,000 grant to this project. Vision Iowa has awarded $300,000 to SDMLL contingent upon SDMLL raising the monies that it has outlined in its grant request and upon receiving a resolution allocating $50,000 from the City of Des Moines. The CAT grant will provide SDMLL with the funds needed to successfully complete this project and ensure the enjoyment of the complex by the citizens of Des Moines for many years to come.
The total project cost of the baseball park is $1,797,333. Additional funding obtained by SDMLL and outlined in its Iowa Vision CAT Grant request is listed below.
Polk County $50,000 grant
$50,000 in-kind
Prairie Meadows $500,000
Bill Knapp $100,000
Patty & Jim Cownie Fdtn $250,000
SDMLL $ 73,000
McAninch Construction $125,000
The Underground Co. $ 23,000
Rasmussen Group $112,000
DM Steel Fence $ 14,333
$1,297,333
The new SDMLL baseball complex will have eight adjoining fields (two will be lighted), a concession stand and maintenance and toilet facilities, seating and adequate parking (200 stalls) serving 1,000 ball players. The current facility is over 50 years old, hemmed in and outmoded, lacks sanitary facilities and requires shuttling between two parks creating a safety concern for the children. This new complex will also enable Des Moines to attract regional and possibly national AAU tournaments. Having a baseball complex in such close proximity to the soccer complex will allow area families to enjoy both recreational facilities at the same time while visiting the area. The construction project began February 21, 2005 and is anticipated to be completed by August 31, 2005.
On March 28, 2005 by Roll Call 05-150, the City Council approved the 28E Agreement among the City Polk County and the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation for the development of Soldiers Field for South Des Moines Little League Baseball Park. The 28E Agreement assigned construction management of the project to the Polk County Board of Supervisors, the collection and distribution of donated and borrowed funds to the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation and for the City of Des Moines to lease the tract of land located at SE 22nd Street and Hartford Avenue (a.k.a. Soldiers Field) to the SDMLL. The site encompasses 33.6 acres on the southeast side of Des Moines and is adjacent to the James Cownie Soccer Complex on the southeast side of Des Moines.
On November 22, 2004 by Roll Call 04-600, the City Council approved a resolution for the development of Soldiers Field for South Des Moines Little League and regional baseball event use. This allowed City staff to negotiate agreements with the Polk County Board of Supervisors for the construction management of this project with the Greater Dees Moines Community Foundation for the collection and distribution of donated and borrowed funds and with the South Des Moines Little League for use of these improvements.