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Minutes of a Meeting of
<br />The North Olmsted Parks and Recreation Commission
<br />September 10, 2007
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<br />throughout the baseball season. Mr. DiSalvo spoke with Julie Zergott. The issue right now is the
<br />amount of money budgeted. Tim Carras doesn’t know where the money is going to come from;
<br />perhaps from another department. At this point, probably more people must get involved with this. If
<br />this doesn’t happen, that field will not be playable. Mr. Lasko asked what the projected cost was for
<br />the improvements. Mr. DiSalvo said that Hot Stove and the Schools would be in for $6,000 total.
<br />The Rec would provide all labor and installation. Mr. Scarl said that in the initial talks among Ted
<br />(DiSalvo), himself and Hot Stove, they wanted to bring it up to Diamond #5, which was $10,500;
<br />that’s what was put into the field this past spring. Tim Murphy said that should be sufficient for the
<br />High School to play on that field. Mr. Scarl said that Hot Stove would be in for a third, or $3,500.
<br />Mr. Lasko asked if the initial thought was that the total would be $10,500. Mr. Scarl said that’s what
<br />was done on Field #5, and that’s what needs to be done on #5 and #1, but we can go with some lesser
<br />items, and if the City is providing the labor and installation, it will save in the overall. Mr. Scarl said
<br />that it could be up to $9,000-$10,000, with the labor coming from the City, so it could basically be the
<br />same.
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<br />Terry Groden asked if, at the last meeting John (Dailey) said that Mayor O’Grady might sit down with
<br />the Superintendent…Mr. Dailey said that would be the next step. He received an e-mail back from
<br />Coach Murphy today, again telling him that the City should keep the issue in front of Mr. Carras so
<br />that he would go over it with his boss now. Then, of course, it would be up to the Mayor to sit down
<br />with the Superintendent and see if they can’t work something out. We know that the fields are used
<br />primarily by the schools and by Hot Stove; we also know that the fields are in deplorable condition,
<br />and we have to get the fields up to the point where they are safe for the kids and, honestly, our kids
<br />deserve better than what they have been playing on. Mr. DiSalvo said that we should get this done
<br />this fall, not in the spring, because it would be a tight timeline. The Commissioner did not want to get
<br />the season cancelled either due to weather or other circumstances. Right now is the time to button
<br />this up. Mr. Baxter asked what Mr. DiSalvo was talking about – ball dirt? What else? The actual
<br />infield, Mr. DiSalvo said, is down to the very base – Mr. Scarl said it’s down to bricks. Mr. DiSalvo
<br />said the Rec Department must dig down eight inches, remove and replace with a base, and then place a
<br />top layer for absorption. Mr. Baxter said he knew that NOSA had, over the years, put money into the
<br />ball diamond, now #2, so he assumed that if we had our druthers it should have been done a long time
<br />ago. Mr. DiSalvo said it’s been at least ten years since dirt has been placed. Mr. Dailey said that now,
<br />once the fields are up and running, that each year the City does what it has to do to make sure to find
<br />money to maintain the fields. Mr. Baxter said that the people living in the area have, over the years,
<br />been inundated with dirt flying from the fields. Mr. Scarl said that what is needed is not regular dirt
<br />but what is known as “diamond dust”, which will stay settled. The neighbors will definitely notice a
<br />difference. Mr. Dailey asked Mr. DiSalvo if the City would need to buy topsoil as well. The
<br />Commissioner replied no, and Mr. Scarl said he did not know what is put on the base, but the last
<br />couple inches will be diamond dust. It lasts about two years. Mr. DiSalvo said the key is to maintain
<br />it. Mr. Scarl said that the way the fields are made up, and there’s a system of dragging, from the
<br />outside to the inside, so it’s all there, it just gets moved around with the proper tools – so it lasts.
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