An ad hoc Bradley County committee on parks voted to ask the mayor to return with a written proposal and updated cost estimates for converting several youth ballfields to artificial turf.

Parks staff member Andy told the committee that the county currently charges about “$100 a field a day” and that tournament complexes can host roughly eight to ten games per field in a day. He said previous quotes for turfing the infields at Bradley North came in around $600,000 for four fields and that a four-field package across multiple parks could run approximately $800,000 depending on scope and site work.

The committee framed turf installation as a way to reduce rain-related cancellations and recover lost revenue. Andy estimated the county missed dozens of playable dates over the past three years and suggested the county may have foregone roughly $70,000–$80,000 in gross revenue over that span; he said single-day tournaments can bring in about $5,000 and that per-game effective revenue under current fees is roughly $10.

Members discussed operational trade-offs, including staffing and overtime costs for preparing fields and running tournaments. Andy noted that hosting tournaments often requires additional staff, payment for umpires and gate personnel and that tournament directors sometimes cover overtime. “If we were to ever say, hey, we want to run the tournaments, then that’s a whole different world,” he said.

The committee weighed funding options. Mayor (speaking as mayor) said a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district would be the “ideal” source because it could cover a substantial share of work once the TIF area and revenues are set; he said the TIF review and approvals were expected after the new year and that, if approved, some parks could be completed in 2026. Several members said the county could also use HCI funds (money that will be available when existing library debt ends) or borrow against future revenues, acknowledging each source has timing or legal limits.

Director Ed Lewis stressed constraints on those funds. “All of the funding you’re talking about, whether it be TIF, whether it be HCI funds, or grant funds, all three of those funding sources cannot be used to increase the pay of first responders,” he said, and asked for clarity so the public and first responders understand the limits.

After discussion, Commissioner Blake moved that the mayor return to the ad hoc committee with a proposal, detailed funding options and a timetable for Bradley North and, if possible, the other parks under consideration for turf. The motion was seconded, put to a voice vote and carried; the chair called for updated estimates and a park-by-park timeline to accompany the mayor’s proposal.

Next steps are for staff to collect and update quotes (committee members asked that bids or current price points be captured) and for the mayor to provide a formal proposal to the ad hoc committee with a suggested timeline and financing scenarios. The committee discussed phasing (starting with key sites versus bidding an 18-field package) and asked staff to research grant opportunities and fence-modification costs where enlarging fields could permit higher levels of play.

Votes at a glance: The committee approved Commissioner Blake’s motion to request that the mayor return with a proposal and updated cost/timeline estimates; the vote was conducted by voice with no recorded roll-call tally in the transcript.