Jonestown Borough Council requests proof of insurance for baseball program

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

A representative of the Jonestown Junior Legion Baseball League attended the July 1 meeting of Jonestown Borough Council to make two requests.

The representative asked for financial assistance for the legion’s baseball program and asked the borough to release monies to the legion that are submitted to the municipality.

While those discussions are slated to continue at a future borough council meeting, what action did occur was an unanimous vote that would require insurance confirmation that covers the borough from liability in case of an injury.

Although it appears that the borough, which owns the park where the baseball field is located, is covered as an added insured on the legion’s insurance policy, council members unanimously passed a motion that the fields can only be used through July 27 upon proof of insurance being provided to borough officials.

The July 27 date was selected because that’s the last weekend before council’s next meeting, where discussion is expected to continue on several topics, including the need for a written agreement between the legion and the borough on income and expenses.

Council said insurance proof must be submitted immediately before the July 4 holiday weekend since Spittle Field is slated to be a site for the large Firecracker Baseball Tournament sponsored by Hershey-based Future Stars, which holds tournament baseball for youths at sites in this region of the state and beyond.

Jonestown Community Park is the site of Spittle Field. (LebTown file photo by James Mentzer)

During a 40-minute discussion on a variety of topics concerning the baseball program, legion representative Lee Campbell provided an overview of the history of local youth baseball, a quick review of a 10-plus-year-old verbal agreement between the legion and the borough, and a review of current costs, which he said exceeds revenues.

He replied, when asked by council, that future expenses are expected to be between $16,000 to $18,000, adding that “bare bone” costs to run the team would run between $10,000 and $12,000. That’s well short of funding from concession stand sales and several fundraisers conducted throughout the year. He noted profits from the chicken BBQ vary, stating the last one was $1,500.

Campbell was asked about profits from the concession stand, which he says are used to pay for two umpires per game. Campbell also said that Future Stars pays $200 per day to rent the field for their tournaments. (There were 42 teams registered to play at 13 fields in the region at the Firecracker Tournament this past weekend.)

The Future Stars website, which was shown on a television screen in borough chambers, indicated that teams pay approximately $900 to just over $1,225 each to play at Firecracker depending on the age group, which ranges from 9 to 14.)

Council chairman Daniel Shuman delineated between expenses for teams vs. field costs, adding that the borough is concerned with field costs. Shuman said the borough’s cost to mow the field runs $200 per cutting and that there are other costs associated with field maintenance, such as weed control.

“There are team expenses and field expenses,” Shuman said. “We’re concerned, I believe today, about the field expenses.”

During additional discussion, Jonestown Mayor Joe Quairoli expressed concerns about the lack of a written agreement between the legion and the borough, adding that there needs to be at least a memorandum of understanding between the two entities. He read from council minutes that he said were from 2013.

“I struggle with this. I truly do struggle with this. For what the minutes say for that particular month, and … the overreaching problem here, number one, is there is absolutely no written agreement of any kind … does not indicate shared responsibilities, who’s going to take care of this, that or the other thing, and it doesn’t talk about insurances,” Quairoli said.

He read from the 12-year-old minutes, noting that the fields were to be used once or twice a year by the Jonestown Legion, adding that the entity makes a profit. He further noted that the borough agreed to apply weed control and mow the field.

“There’s a commentary in here that (solicitor) Colleen (Gallo) stated that the borough council would need to give approval for the team to, as a private entity, make a profit on public property, which is essentially what’s going on because it’s supported by the tax folks. A discussion followed,” read Quairoli from the 2013 minutes. “The council agreed to give permission to the baseball team and will contact their designated person, who’s – I’ll keep his name out of this – to find out who would like to use the field. So we’re talking about something that happened a dozen years ago with the specific once or twice a year and it’s kind of expanded on that.”

“The problem is that there’s absolutely nothing that says that there was any kind of written agreement, which absolutely needs to be moving forward,” he said.

Quairoli added that while field expenses are about 32 percent of overall costs, he still struggles with the lack of a memorandum of understanding, and his biggest concern is what happens next.

“My concern is, if anything, where do we go going forward? We … absolutely need to have some kind of a memo of understanding that identifies … who’s going to be responsible for what, who’s going to incur what expenses, what profit sharing there should be, what the rental fee rates would be,” he added.

Council member Jeffrey Schott said he’s concerned about a financial accountability of monies coming in to the borough and out to the legion for the baseball program.

“I just think we’re arguing expenses and share of expenses right now, which is fine, but we gotta get there. I think we need a format first, because my main concerns are checks going in and out that are equal with no paper trail to justify them in an audit,” Schott said, who added he’s attended games at the park and has witnessed attendees consuming alcohol, which violates a borough ordinance prohibiting consumption on borough property. “Before we can start moving money around or contributing, we need to establish yes or no. We have to come to some agreement on what we’re doing as far as the Future Stars leases or contracts because they’re not with us and it’s our property, really the taxpayer’s property.”

On a separate issue concerning Spittle Field, Shuman said he still wishes to explore constructing lights at the field. He noted that Major League Baseball provides funding for lights, and noted that lights would have an economic impact in the borough from people spending money while here.

Senate Bill 194

By a 4-2 vote to oppose, council vetoed sending a letter of support for Senate Bill 194, which would, in part, amend Title 45 concerning the publication of legal notices.

One member opposed the high cost to print legal notices in print publications while another didn’t like the low subscription rates for the local “print publication of record.” Another said he supports digital publications having the ability to publish legal notices.

The letter was tabled to see if amendments or changes are made to the legislation that would make backing it more palatable for council members.

In other business, council voted unanimously to:

Purchase liquid pathfinder for an amount not to exceed $400.

Purchase Leiby’s weed spray for the borough park for an amount not to exceed $678.

Permit secretary/treasurer Mariah Mauser to sign the winter maintenance agreement.

Send a letter to Huey Amusements for costs owed to the borough for a borough event, since the invoice is 30 days past due.

Authorize Met-Ed to spray weeds under power lines on South Lancaster Street.

Explore offering the Pennsylvania Association of Boroughs’ Junior Council Person Program to a local high school student beginning in the fall.

Approve the June 3 council meeting minutes, the planning workshop committee meeting minutes on May 27 and June 23, and the treasurer’s report through June 30.

Upcoming meetings in Jonestown Borough that were announced include:

Jonestown Borough Council – Tuesday, Aug. 5, 6:30 p.m.

Jonestown Borough Planning Commission workshop – Tuesday, July 28, 6:30 p.m.

Jonestown Borough Park, Recreation & Events – Thursday, July 23, 7 p.m.

All meetings will be held at borough hall, at 295 S. Mill St., Jonestown.

Questions about this story? Suggestions for a future LebTown article? Reach our newsroom using this contact form and we’ll do our best to get back to you.

Become a LebTown member.

Cancel anytime.

Fewer ads

Member newsletters

Exclusive events

All monthly benefits

Jonestown Borough Council requests proof of insurance for baseball program

Tags: