Board approves Sunset baseball field repairs

By RICHARD JENKINS

[email protected]

Ironwood Township — Those playing on the Sunset Park Baseball Field will have an easier time fielding grounders next season as the Ironwood Township Board of Trustees approved repairing the infield Monday.

The township was planning to spend roughly $3,400 to completely renovate the field; according to Ironwood Township Supervisor Steve Boyd, who said the township budgeted $3,600 for the project.

However, it may cost less than expected to complete the work.

“We got a very good offer on the clay. To do the field; we have to strip off the top eight inches, put down about four inches of sand as a base, and another four inches of this specialized clay and it gets packed down,” Boyd said.

The clay will cost $2,400 and the sand will be purchased from Tiziani Sand & Gravel for $5-a-yard, which Boyd said, was “almost like giving it away.”

The actual work will be completed through a combination of volunteers and township employees.

Based on the price information presented at the meeting, the board approved spending up to $2,700 out of the township’s parks and recreation budget.

The money is part of an amount the township received from the Department of Natural Resources and is earmarked for recreation spending, according to information presented at the meeting.

This is a good time to complete the project, Boyd said, as the field’s use is winding down for the year.

“This is also a great time of year to do it, because the baseball season is about done and it gives the field a chance to settle over the winter,” Boyd said.

Future work on the field will likely include the installation of a fence around the site.

In other board action:

—The board approved a new contract with the union representing three of the township employees. Among the changes were a roughly 50-cents an hour raise for the employees, new language regarding how to terminate or amend the agreement and the removal of language regarding the deputy treasurer as it is not a union position. The contract is for 2.5 years, Boyd told the Daily Globe after the meeting.

—While no formal action was taken, the board agreed to change the lock on the gym door and begin enforcing an existing policy limiting the number of keys given to those renting the gym at the township hall. There will also be a $10 deposit to ensure the keys are returned after the event. A majority of the copies of the key the township has are currently missing, according to information presented at the meeting, and several township employees reported the building was being used when it hadn’t been rented.

—The board approved issuing a $123 sewer credit to Lewis Kapelka for what may have been a faulty meter. A future credit may be issued for water charges that were mistakenly billed, according to information presented at the meeting.