Metcalfe athletics will no longer use city park fields

By GINA KINSLOW

EDMONTON — Metcalfe County school athletic events will no longer be held at the Edmonton Memorial Park, after action taken by the Edmonton City Council earlier this week.

The council voted 3-2 not to enter into an agreement with the Metcalfe County Board of Education that would allow local schools to continue using the park for football, tennis, track and field, baseball and softball events because it felt the board of education should pay more money for using the park’s facilities.

“The compromise we had struck was $70,000 for the next four years for use of the facilities,” said Mayor Howard Garrett.

Not entering into the contract with the board of education will hamper the city financially.

“We’re going to have to make up the difference somewhere in the budget for the income we’re not going to be receiving,” he said.

Council members Curt Estes and Wayne Wilson voted to enter into the contract with the board of education, while council members Jack Vrocher, Teresa Welch and Billy Jeffries voted not to enter into the contract. Councilman Coy Wilson abstained from voting.

Estes thought the council should have entered into the contract with the board of education.

“I thought it was a bad decision on their part,” he said. “It could cause some city park employees to be laid off during the off season.”

Garrett said the council will have to look at the budget to see what can be cut.

“The ones who are getting hurt out of this deal are the students,” he said, adding they had the opportunity to play on the best facilities available. “They are not going to get that chance (now).”

Patricia Hurt, superintendent of Metcalfe County schools, said it is not likely that the board of education will offer the city more money so schools can continue to use the park’s facilities. She answered a series of questions Tuesday about the matter along with school board chairman Steve Thompson.

“The offer discussed was the absolute most our school board will offer in terms of a maintenance and operations agreement for continued use of the athletic facilities at the Memorial Park,” she said. “The offer was tentative at best as the board has yet to meet formally to approve the amount discussed last night at the city council level.

“Schools will now use the district’s existing facilities, or schedule time for football practices and games at the park as any other citizen who wishes to use the park free of charge,” she said.

Not being able to use the park’s facilities won’t keep the schools from scheduling home athletic events.

“We will continue to schedule home as well as away games,” Hurt said.

The board of education initially entered into a contract with the city for use of the athletic facilities four years ago at a cost of $120,000.

“That initial commitment was to be seen as seed money to help the city establish the park, namely with the inclusion of the track. We continue to share equipment and personnel as needed to make the park something in which the entire community can take pride,” she said. “We were very proud of the leadership of both the community and schools to come together to do something so phenomenal for kids. We were a model to other small communities in this way to show such a positive partnership and to lead the way for both the city and the school district to flourish.”

The city purchased the land on U.S. 68/Ky. 80, which is across the road from Metcalfe County High School, for the park about 10 years ago. The land was originally owned by the Edmonton-Metcalfe County Industrial Authority, which had plans of developing it into an industrial site.

“We paid for that piece of property through our occupational tax,” Garrett said. “We took that (money) and bought another piece of property for the industrial board.”

The city financed the purchase of the land for the park through the Kentucky League of Cities.

Garrett said the park will still be used for Little League games and other events.

Hurt believes the board of education’s relationship with the city will survive.

“It is my thinking that the city council members were simply either misinformed or uninformed when the decision was made to reject our most generous offer,” she said. “I am unsure as to whether all of the council members understood the contract language that reduced our financial obligation to a minimal maintenance and operations agreement after that first four years.”

Hurt believes the council will revisit the issue at some point once it learns the all of the facts.

“We harbor no ill will over the misfortunate action, because our relationship with the city and the mayor as well as his council override the current misunderstanding of the legal and binding terms of the original park lease agreement. It is obvious that the tentative offer discussed was most generous and shows our school board’s continued interests in helping not only our community to survive and thrive but also their unwavering support of our school’s athletes.”

Estes also believes the council will consider the issue again, but Garrett said he isn’t sure and that it will be up to the council members who voted against entering into the contract with the board of education.

Garrett said Wednesday morning that he intends to meet with Hurt to discuss the issue.