Pryor Park will be receiving a massive makeover thanks to generous donations from the baseball program, but as for the other three parks in the township the members of the town council are still debating whether or not to move forward.
In a special meeting Monday night, Township Administrator Scott Carew presented several bid packages for four park projects in the township. The township went out to bid for improvements to Wesley Bishop North, Wesley Bishop South, Pryor Park, and Jeff Young Park.
Continuing a long discussed issue in the township, the members of council also debated whether or not it was necessary to use money from the Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Fund to pay for the projects.
Each park includes extensive improvements, Carew said. All four-bid packages came in at about $2.679 million total for all four of the projects, Carew said, an extremely decreased price when compared to bids that came in for the projects last year.
Wesley Bishop North came in as the most expensive project at a little more than $1.3 million. The bid package included the construction of a second artificial turf field, grating work, and parking lot improvements.
Wesley Bishop South came in at $413,420 for improvements to the turf field and a better irrigation system.
Jeff Young came in at $475,000 for new lighting at the park.
Pryor Park came in at $415,000, with the baseball fields scheduled to receive artificial turf infields, new lights, and improved drainage.
Each project would add between $4 and $15 to the tax rate for the average assessed homeowner in the township. The estimates include donations from the sport clubs, but no sponsorship funding estimates.
Councilwoman Stacey Jordan said it was foolish to consider any of these projects at the moment when the township didn’t know how it would pay for them. Even though the township’s debt service is decreasing in 2014 and 2019, Jordan said it wasn’t a smart idea to put more of a tax burden on Moorestown residents.
“I’m confused by saying lets just bond this and let future councils worry about paying for it,” she said. “It’s irresponsible and I don’t agree with it.”
Councilman Michael Testa asked Jordan how it was any different to bond for the field projects when she had supported a bond for the township municipal hall project.
Testa also said that most of the athletic groups in town have dedicated annual payments for the project. The Moorestown Youth Baseball Federation has dedicated to donate $15,000 a year for the next 15-years for Pryor Park and other sport clubs have pledged to donate $35,000 a year for the Wesley Bishop North project.
Plus, the sponsorship funds aren’t yet being counted for any of these projects as well, Testa said. The township clubs created a “menu” of specific sponsorship opportunities with opportunities for their field. A complete guide was created to let prospective advertisers see what is available.
Contracts for varying sponsorship opportunities would be available to advertisers for such options as advertisements on baseball field fences, signs on lights poles, and even field names.
Testa also urged council to move forward and use funding from the Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Fund. Jordan disagreed with him and said it wouldn’t be appropriate to use the funding from this source for the projects.
“These projects can be paid for by taxes that I and everyone else in the township have already paid for, by law,” he said, referencing the fund.
It’s been a point of contention in the township since the fund was approved by voters. Many residents at the meeting again asked the township to not use the money from the fund for the projects because it “wasn’t the original intent” of the voters to use the money for athletic field improvement, but for the acquisition of open space property.
The council came to a consensus to move ahead with a complete makeover of Pryor Park because the cost could be a zero percent impact for township residents, largely in part through the donations from the Moorestown Youth Baseball Federation.
In addition to the $15,000 a year for 15-years, MYBF President Bob McCourt said the federation has also procured $72,500 in private donations.
No official action was taken at the meeting. Since all four projects were put out to bid separately, the council can approve or deny each one separately.
