The struggle over what to do with Propst Park continued Thursday morning as Recreation Director Greg Lewis presented three new alternatives.
Lewis’ plans, which he presented during a city council work session at City Hall, ranged in cost from $1.8 million to $5.4 million and would require the city to borrow money and service the loan with incoming revenue from the 2% tourism tax, which totals about $400,000 a year, as well as using the $1.4 million in funding the city already has on hand.
The proposals included renovations to existing youth baseball fields, as well as sprucing up tee ball fields, adding pickleball courts and renovating existing pavilions at Propst Park. Lewis also suggested making improvements to community centers and setting aside operations and maintenance money.
The city has been grappling since April with whether to accept a $3.3 million bid to build four new youth baseball fields and upgrade the lighting at the Field of Dreams. Last month, Mayor Keith Gaskin broke a tie in favor of tabling the bids while the city explored funding possibilities.
During that meeting, Ward 3 Councilman Rusty Greene and Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard both said they would like to consider spreading the money out over the whole park, rather than just building new ballfields.
Lewis’ most expensive proposal, at $5.4 million, would earmark about $4.2 million for Propst Park and would essentially swap the current youth baseball and softball fields rather than build new youth baseball fields. The new location for the baseball fields would allow them to be turfed, which isn’t practical now due to flooding concerns at the current site, Lewis said.
Converting the softball fields for baseball would cost $2,090,000, while converting the old baseball fields for softball would cost around $580,000. The remainder of the plan includes improvements to the tee ball fields, playground, splash pad, existing office space, pavilions and the activities building; new lighting at the Field of Dreams; and converting tennis courts to pickleball.
Outside of Propst Park, the city’s seven community centers would get a total of about $693,000 worth of improvements, and $450,000 would be set aside for operations and maintenance.
The second proposal bears a total cost of $4.4 million, with about $3.4 million spent at Propst. It also calls for swapping the youth baseball and softball fields, but uses cheaper alternatives for lighting, cuts the money set aside for office improvements and removes the activity center renovation entirely.
The amount set aside for the community centers is reduced to $643,000 and the operations and maintenance portion is reduced to $250,000.
The third proposal, at $1.8 million, looks only at swapping the softball and baseball fields with less expensive material and includes none of the other options.
‘I don’t want to see Propst Park like the amphitheater’
Mayor Keith Gaskin said he is in favor of Propst Park renovations, but he wants to wait before committing any major resources.
“I personally would like to see what we can do with the $1.4 million that we have,” Gaskin said. “I am still cautioning the council about taking out any type of loans, especially of this size. We would probably have to look at raising taxes a mill just to cover the interest.”
Gaskin said he wants the city to seek grant money for park improvements, as well.
Vice Mayor and Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens said he is tired of waiting.
“I hear what the mayor is saying, but it seems like he’s talking out of both sides of his mouth to me,” Mickens said. “You say you want it, but you’re not doing nothing to do it.”
Gaskin fired back.
“Let me be clear, I am talking out of only one side of my mouth,” Gaskin retorted. “I’m making sure the city is being the best stewards of our dollars, which has not always been the case. And I think you’ve been on the council longer than anybody else.”
“I don’t want to see Propst Park like the amphitheater,” Mickens said, referring to the long incomplete construction project on The Island.
“I don’t want to see doing a little bit this year, and then coming back and doing a little bit next year. Then we’d have two properties we haven’t finished. It’s embarrassing to the mayor and council that we haven’t finished that amphitheater.”
Chief Financial Officer James Brigham said the interest for Lewis’ most expensive proposal would create a budget deficit.
“If you’re bringing in $400,000 the first year (in 2% tax revenue) it will cost you almost $540,000 (with finance charges and interest),” Brigham said. “So there’s a deficit of $140,000 that is going to have to be paid by the taxpayers. You would either have to raise taxes or make cuts (to the city budget).”
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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