Baseball / Softball Fields

In light of concerns raised regarding the baseball and softball fields here is some information regarding some of what I've seen. Please feel free to contact me directly, timkuehl@ccaschools.org, if you would like to discuss further. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this in person.

The concerns about the facilities are understood and shared by the Board and administration. The distance to the softball field is inconvenient and a safety concern. The condition of the baseball field is not at the level that we expect for CCA facilities. We are working to resolve these issues, but fiscal resources are real limiting factors.

During the work of the facilities committee last summer they discussed these facilities, but chose to focus on the academic environment of CCA students with their bond proposal to the Board. Historically, extracurricular facilities have been constructed using the SAVE fund, revenue to the district from the State $0.01 sales tax.

Assertion that the baseball/softball complex was on the 2008 bond issue. This is not true. The ballot language at the time addressed a new elementary school, new high school, land purchase and site improvements. Site improvements referred to working on the land directly around the new buildings, specifically at North Bend, which was the new land purchase. From what I have gathered there were conceptual drawings developed showing this complex to the south of the high school. It was not ever engineered at that time. I have been told that it was part of discussion of a "second phase". I wasn't involved in the discussions at that time, but it evidently was removed from those plans at some point.

During the last year the district has researched putting a complex at the high school site. Engineers have worked on the needed grading, the building and grounds director has put together costs for the development of a complex. The cost of developing competition diamonds for baseball and softball is just under $900,000. At this time the district does not have funds available in the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) or SAVE (State $0.01 sales tax) funds to cover this expense. The PPEL funds are used for bus purchases, technology purchases, and facilities maintenance. The SAVE funds were largely tied up with the construction of the high school outdoor athletic complex, Performing Arts Center, and the last pod of classrooms at North Bend. The extension of the SAVE fund by the Iowa Legislature would provide the needed funds to make this complex a reality.

This spring during budget development the PPEL/SAVE Committee of the Board discussed regrading the current baseball facility. The cost would be approximately $250,000. After lengthy discussion the committee decided to postpone the project, waiting to see if the legislature will extend the SAVE funds as they discussed during this session. Those funds are reserved in the SAVE budget at this time.

While I certainly understand that this issue is a real, pertinent issue, I hope that it can be resolved without muddying the waters of the bond. Please learn as much as you can about the circumstances creating the bond proposal and vote for or against that based on it's own merits. I can be reached by email: timkuehl@ccaschools.org, phone: 319-215-2200 to answer your questions.

Upcoming Bond presentations, all are at 6:30 in the school library:
7/13 Tiffin Elementary
7/18 Amana Elementary
7/20 Clear Creek Elementary
8/7   North Bend Elementary (rescheduled from 7/11)

Sincerely,

Tim Kuehl