WESTFIELD – The Legislative & Ordinance Committee will bring out a $1.8 million bond order to the full City Council tonight with a recommendation against approving the funding to improve athletic fields.
The committee members voted 1-2 to support a positive recommendation earlier this week, with Ward 1 Councilor Christopher Keefe and At-large Councilor Matthew VanHeynigan opposed to approving the bond.
Keefe said that while he supported the idea of improving athletic fields across the city, the city has other, and more urgent, funding needs. Keefe cited the fact that teachers were laid off last June as one of the issues which should have greater priority.
Dan Welch, president of the Babe Ruth League, said that part of the bond funds would be to replace lights at Bullens Field and the adjoining football field which would benefit not only the babe Ruth players, but also the Westfield High School, Westfield Technical Academy and St. Mary’s High School teams which also use those athletic fields.
Welch said the existing lights and pole would “be repurposed” at other locations “anywhere in the city that needs lights.”
Welch said the new lights at Bullens Field and the football field will be energy efficient LED lights.
“The current lights are 27 years old. The LED lights will be good for the next 40 years,” Welch said.
Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy, L&O chairman, said there is strong support among City Council members to use the existing light at field used by both boys and girls teams.
“There is strong support for lights at Boardman Field which is used for both boys and girls soccer, boys and girls lacrosse, as well as girls field hockey,” Figy said.
The bond order began as a $4 million request and was sent back to Mayor Daniel M. Knapik by council members concerned about other needs within the city which also require funding.
Knapik submitted the $1.8 million bond order which was again sent back by the council with a request to revise the bond language to allow for reuse of the existing lights at a number of locations.
Welch said that there are 12 lights poles at Bullens Field and the football field and that only four would be needed to illuminate Boardman Field so the remaining eight poles could be used at other locations, as well.
