Clearlake City Council willing to extend lease with Southshore Little League
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – At its Thursday meeting the Clearlake City Council agreed to give the Southshore Little League an extension of its current lease, a request the league made in order to carry out more upgrades on the fields and facilities.
City Manager Greg Folsom told the council on Thursday night that the league had approached him about its interest in installing new “capital intensive” upgrades, including lighting and a new t-ball field at Haverty Field and the Redbud Park ball fields
At the same time, the league wants to have a longer-term lease, Folsom said. The league’s current lease has five years remaining on it.
Helen Mitcham, secretary-treasurer of Southshore Little League, told the council that the league was seeking modifications to its existing use agreement.
She said the league originally was chartered in 1959, when it was known as Konocti Little League. “We have played on the Redbud fields for 60 years next season,” she said.
Many local leaders have played on the fields as children, as did Ray Silva, who went on to play in the big leagues, Mitcham said.
Mitcham said that last season there were 34 teams and 443 players ranging in age from 4 to 15.
The league’s use agreement is dated to March of 2010. Mitcham said they came back in 2012 to request a change, and that’s when it was modified to a 10-year use agreement.
In 2013 the league made a number of upgrades, including installing power lines to accommodate pitching machines and a new circuit to the snack shack, plus a new flagpole, with all the buildings painted and the dugouts reroofed, she said.
She said that in 2015 the league replaced and upgraded the main electric panel, replaced an electric scoreboard, reinstalled a swamp cooler on the snack shack, purchased a storage container, and replaced and upgraded the old alarm system.
The following year, they rebuilt the pitchers’ mounds, reworked both fields, purchased a new ice machine for the snack shack, renamed the field for donors Dale and Karen Valentine and put in a sign with the Valentine Field name, she said.
She said that in 2017, they painted all the dugouts, installed locked gates on them as well as on the announcer’s booth, and made some other upgrades as well.
Mitcham said the league was seeking to extend its existing use agreement with the city up to 25 or 30 years, as they have potential donors who want to see a longer-term commitment to allow the league’s use of the facilities.
Key goals are building a t-ball field, installing lights on the ball field and batting cages as the league seeks to bring tournament play to Clearlake, Mitcham said.
The league also sought the council’s agreement in concept to those larger projects. “We know they require permits and firm plans, and we're ready to get the ball rolling,” said Mitcham.
Mitcham said league volunteers are anxious to work with the city to make Redbud park a showcase for baseball and softball “Together we can make this a home run,” she said with a chuckle.
Councilwoman Joyce Overton said the location is a “prime piece of property” that it’s hoped will be developed at some point. She asked if the league had looked at a large piece of property by the Redbud Library. Mitcham said they hadn’t, as when the Clearlake Youth Center opened near Redbud Park, the idea was that it would be the hub of youth activities.
Mitcham also was concerned about what would happen to the fields if the league left. “We have significant investment in what's already there.”
“I think that what we have here is a little league that is completely underutilized,” said Councilman Phil Harris.
He said the league’s efforts to bring tournament play to the city would be beneficial, and having it downtown is exactly what the city desires.
“The cost of moving the fields would be substantial,” said Harris, pointing out the infrastructure already there.
Councilman Nick Bennett said, “There are obstacles to overcome,” one of them being parking in the area. However, he said he was very happy with the league’s plans, noting his daughter played ball with them.
Harris supported adding another 15 years to the five years remaining on the agreement, which would take them to 2038.
He wanted to add a caveat that if an investor was interested in the property there were would be the potential for the development of a new field in a new location, which would have to be completed before game play on the existing fields was terminated.
Mayor Bruno Sabatier said he loves what the league does for the city, noting all of the work is being done by volunteers. “Since 1959 this has been a service to our community.”
He said the league’s location is prime for attracting people to the downtown, and he agreed with Harris’ extension proposal. Sabatier added that preserving open space and childrens' play spaces is a top priority.
A league volunteer told the council that field lightning could be close to $100,000. Once they have the agreement extension, they can move forward with pursuing the necessary grant, which they could have within a year. The goal is to have the lights up and ready by the 2020 season, although it’s possible they could be in place by the 2019 season.
Harris thanked Southshore Little League for its work before the council agreed to give direction to Folsom to work with the league on the updated agreement.
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