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Recreation Commission Meeting March 1, 2004 Mr. Kelley asked for any comments. Mr. Baxter said he reviewed the minutes from last month and could not figure out who was paying for the water. Mr. Kelley replied that NOSO would pay for the water, but that's in litigation back and forth as to liability as to what is understood now. What it came down to over the past three months is that at every avenue, something else gets thrown at the proposal. At every other meeting, it seemed to Mr. Kelley that NOSO has gone out of its way to pay for different things. The first thing that came up against it was: who's paying for the water? NOSO came back and said it would. Who's paying for the sprinkler? NOSO came back and said it would pay for the sprinkler. Remembering this is City property, Councilman Limpert made Mr. Kelley aware that the property was purchased when St. John West Shore Hospital was being thought of for that property - what kind of upgrades have been done to the property over the years? This is something that has been needed for years. The City has never been able to water the fields. NOSO has been asking for a water line for ten years that Mr. Kelley knew. Here is an opportunity to put the water line in and for an outside source to run a tournament and upgrade the fields for the City. If Friedel leaves in a year, what is the City left with? Mr. Limpert said that the worst case scenario would be: $40,000 drinking fountains. Mr. Kelley countered that that seems very high to him. $40,000 includes shooting the grades, a trencher with PVC piping, making connections, run with it, stop, make the T. If it takes a week, Mr. Kelley would be surprised; he does not see it running $40,000. Mr. Kelley said it came out of the Committee unanimously to go forward with the project, gone to Council, and it keeps coming back with obstacles in the way. There is a time frame. Mr. Miller said that it, with the budget the way it is, it's hard to justify $40,000 for a two-week profit-making camp and then leave. For example, the City didn't replace a dispatcher, and the City is short a corrections officer. When one thinks about these things vs. a water line for a two-week camp, one can question that. Council wants to see this done, but wants to have from this camp that stands to profit considerably something long-term benefiting the community. Some talked five years, and the City and NOSO came down to three years. Mr. Jesse stated that it's not a dead issues; that it's got some holes in the road and the two sides are trying to get over them. There's been a lot of progress since last week. When it comes time, there will be a strong presentation to be made. Some legislation was anticipated to be passed for Wednesday night if need be. The votes are there. The commitment must be there. Mr. Jesse hopes that, within the next few days, there will be an agreed recommendation for Committee next week. In his original meeting with Mr. Friedel, thth Mr. Jesse said that the best case scenario would be the 16 or 17 of March and reiterated that at the Commission meeting. Mr. Hatfield said that, besides Brad's (Friedel's) camp, NOSO has been running a soccer tournament for the last 30 years, bringing revenue into the City in taxes. Complexes are being built and competition is greater now for having these tournaments and tracking teams and, if the City can make its fields better, it will help in that regard as well. Mr. Jesse said that that City is considering all facets and dimensions of this project and has also developed a very comprehensive soccer program and instruction schedule over the last 20 years, meeting far more than the Recreation Department ever envisioned. NOSO's support and funding is very much appreciated. Page 3