Colbert using old community fund to improve ball field

“We need to do the restrooms and get that building in decent shape,” mayor John Waggoner said.

Colbert, which made the decision Monday, owns the park but leases it for recreation department use. The rec dept., in turn, maintains the fields.

The city landed $25,000 in state grant money last year to refurbish the ball field restrooms, but the governor froze those funds.

So Colbert opted to use money collected by a now-defunct community park committee. The committee disbanded about a decade ago, leaving the city $11,653 for city park use.

Colbert will pay for the upgrades out of this fund once it has seen the finalized plans from the recreation department.

The recreation department will coordinate the project, but the city will pay contractors directly for the work.

Colbert approved the arrangement after talking with Darrell Woods, chairman of the advisory board for the recreation department, at Monday’s meeting.

Woods said he’s trying to improve the maintenance of the Colbert park, something city leaders have complained about in the past.

“To me, it’s your park,” Woods told the council. “We’re just the caretakers over there.”

Woods also mentioned the possibility of walking trails around the ball fields.

However, revamping the restrooms remains the first priority.

“The restrooms are the main thing,” Waggoner said. “And if we could get the day-to-day maintenance upgraded, then I think we could work from there.”