My opinion is that any expenditure on real estate deals or construction projects over $1 million should be put to the voters.

History is not on the side of city management with these deals. Let's change that going forward by getting the voters to decide what their money can be spent on.

The winner in all of this is.......

The city of Bryan

Independence H-D said:

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The winner in all of this is.......

The city of Bryan

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Laughing their asses off all the way to the bank

Wait, these baseball fields exist now? Didn't the voters vote against this in a bond election?? Did the city just decide to ignore voter input to do whatever they want...again???

maroon barchetta said:

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My opinion is that any expenditure on real estate deals or construction projects over $1 million should be put to the voters.

History is not on the side of city management with these deals. Let's change that going forward by getting the voters to decide what their money can be spent on.

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That's a fair ask. There is legislation pending in the state house that constrains cities on issuing debt without going to the voters.

When I stepped into office, there were 4 ball fields that were going to happen. Then the soils issue happened and people were very angry that those fields fell through. Now we've moved forward to keep that commitment and you guys are crying foul. This after we scheduled meetings at city hall where kids in ball caps and uniforms and parents and coaches showed up advocating for. No one advocated against. Now we're moving forward and yall are advocating against.

Maybe we should send it to the voters one last time and get our answer, once and for all.

Respectfully

Yancy '95

So the Council enacted a project against voter wishes? This has worked so well for this city in the past...

SAC4311 said:

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So the Council enacted a project against voter wishes? This has worked so well for this city in the past...

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No, 4 fields were approved but never built because of soil issues at the original location. Now we are getting 3 fields at Veterans Park.

How much money are they spending on this without a bond election? Weird that this seems to match the specifications of the Bombers guy that Bryan is running out of town.

Given COCS recent history I would suggest a citizen vote. That at least gives you/council some cover going forward. Given the bond issue defeat and the soils fiasco it certainly is a bad look for city leadership to just go ahead and spend this money based on a strong show of support with kids in uniforms trotted out by a small fraction of the eligible voting population.

Bob Yancy said:

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MsDoubleD81 said:

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Bob Yancy said:

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maroon barchetta said:

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My opinion is that any expenditure on real estate deals or construction projects over $1 million should be put to the voters.

History is not on the side of city management with these deals. Let's change that going forward by getting the voters to decide what their money can be spent on.

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That's a fair ask. There is legislation pending in the state house that constrains cities on issuing debt without going to the voters.

When I stepped into office, there were 4 ball fields that were going to happen. Then the soils issue happened and people were very angry that those fields fell through. Now we've moved forward to keep that commitment and you guys are crying foul. This after we scheduled meetings at city hall where kids in ball caps and uniforms and parents and coaches showed up advocating for. No one advocated against. Now we're moving forward and yall are advocating against.

Maybe we should send it to the voters one last time and get our answer, once and for all.

Respectfully

Yancy '95

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When are the ballparks at Veterans Park supposed to start/be completed compared to the park at Midtown?

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Texas Independence Park (Midtown Park) is underway. Veterans ball fields are in design.

Respectfully

Yancy '95

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There's only a bathroom out there that has been there a year.

Quote:

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Maybe we should send it to the voters one last time and get our answer, once and for all.

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Yes, we should vote!

Bob Yancy said:

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maroon barchetta said:

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My opinion is that any expenditure on real estate deals or construction projects over $1 million should be put to the voters.

History is not on the side of city management with these deals. Let's change that going forward by getting the voters to decide what their money can be spent on.

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When I stepped into office, there were 4 ball fields that were going to happen. Then the soils issue happened and people were very angry that those fields fell through. Now we've moved forward to keep that commitment and you guys are crying foul. This after we scheduled meetings at city hall where kids in ball caps and uniforms and parents and coaches showed up advocating for. No one advocated against. Now we're moving forward and yall are advocating against.

Respectfully

Yancy '95

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The bolded part is at best a blurring of the truth.

A lot of people on this board were upset that CoCS (again) entered into a land deal in a shoot first, ask questions later scenario. We were unhappy that a municipality spent tax money on land they had not properly examined to see if it was worthy of the planned use.

Having what amounts to a special interest group of little leaguers and parents showing up to city council meetings is not the same as getting input from all concerned parties, which a vote would do.

The kids wearing baseball caps aren't taxpayers.

Bob Yancy said:

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Lone Stranger said:

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Given COCS recent history I would suggest a citizen vote. That at least gives you/council some cover going forward. Given the bond issue defeat and the soils fiasco it certainly is a bad look for city leadership to just go ahead and spend this money based on a strong show of support with kids in uniforms trotted out by a small fraction of the eligible voting population.

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That's a fair opinion. At this juncture I'd likely be impaled for suggesting it- but it's a very fair opinion.

Respectfully

Yancy '95

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Thank you for that honest statement. Hurts my heart and head to hear it, but speaks volumes to culture at CoCS. The people should have a say in how their tax dollars are spent. The fact that CoCS doesn't see it that way is deeply troubling.

Again thank you for saying out loud publicly what we have all known for decades.

Bob Yancy said:

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Lone Stranger said:

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Given COCS recent history I would suggest a citizen vote. That at least gives you/council some cover going forward. Given the bond issue defeat and the soils fiasco it certainly is a bad look for city leadership to just go ahead and spend this money based on a strong show of support with kids in uniforms trotted out by a small fraction of the eligible voting population.

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That's a fair opinion. At this juncture I'd likely be impaled for suggesting it- but it's a very fair opinion.

Respectfully

Yancy '95

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Impaled for suggesting it? Wow sounds like city council is the boss instead of voters. This one is double Macys.

MsDoubleD81 said:

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The kids wearing baseball caps aren't taxpayers.

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The parents are.

So are people that think organized sports and a place to play them are a good idea.

whoop1995 said:

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Bob Yancy said:

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Lone Stranger said:

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Given COCS recent history I would suggest a citizen vote. That at least gives you/council some cover going forward. Given the bond issue defeat and the soils fiasco it certainly is a bad look for city leadership to just go ahead and spend this money based on a strong show of support with kids in uniforms trotted out by a small fraction of the eligible voting population.

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That's a fair opinion. At this juncture I'd likely be impaled for suggesting it- but it's a very fair opinion.

Respectfully

Yancy '95

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Impaled for suggesting it? Wow sounds like city council is the boss instead of voters. This one is double Macys.

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Well there is a very vocal and supportive baseball group that apparently aren't on Texags. I'm somewhat surprised at the opposition on this thread compared to what I hear from constituents. All feedback is good though. Not dismissing anything. Just trying to reconcile two very different groups.

Respectfully

Yancy '95

Stupe said:

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MsDoubleD81 said:

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The kids wearing baseball caps aren't taxpayers.

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The parents are.

So are people that think organized sports and a place to play them are a good idea.

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Sounds like we have two vocal sides in opposition. Put it on the ballot and let the voters decide.

To be clear in my opinion. I do think the city needs ballparks. I don't think a championship field for the bombers is money well spent. I get that they only a limited amount of home games. But most high school age tournaments run Fri-Sun from the end of school until the beginning of school. Taking this years Bomber's schedule there would 1 Fri-Sun available in June and July. So that really limits the summer month availability for the teams that are asking for field space

Agreed!

1) We absolutely need baseball fields, for the Baseball kiddos and Families in this community, and for Tournaments, which bring a significant amount of money (to Restaurants, Heads-in-Beds, you know the drill) to Bryan/College Station.

2) I would be EXTREMELY cautious in agreeing to a deal with the Bombers, which will limit, if not eliminate, the ability to host Tournaments, during June and July (see above…those which bring money to Bryan/College Station).

If we had plenty of fields already, bring on the Bombers. However, in my experience hosting sports tournaments and sanctioning youth sports across the country for MANY years, I'd hope the College Station Baseball community (who's been waiting on fields for years), has the right to host and attend Tournaments at home, before a for-profit Tech Company, who runs an Amateur Baseball Team, gobbles up that valuable field space!

My two pennies …

Tax assessments and rates go through the roof and then we get hit with this? Bad timing and seems we had no say-so.

Boozer92 said:

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To be clear in my opinion. I do think the city needs ballparks. I don't think a championship field for the bombers is money well spent. I get that they only a limited amount of home games. But most high school age tournaments run Fri-Sun from the end of school until the beginning of school. Taking this years Bomber's schedule there would 1 Fri-Sun available in June and July. So that really limits the summer month availability for the teams that are asking for field space

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Why can't the Bombers build their own field? Ridiculous to reserve a field for the Bombers "for profit" owner when we could be renting every weekend for June and July.

Their rent payment should cover the lost rental income from missed tournaments.

Brian Alg said:

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Bob Yancy said:

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This after we scheduled meetings at city hall where kids in ball caps and uniforms and parents and coaches showed up advocating for.

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I am going to do a records request for records and documents of and from these meetings. What should I ask for? How would you describe them?

Names of participants/organizations?
Dates?
Were they city council meetings or some other kind of meetings

If they gave you presentations and arguments that you found persuasive, I think the rest of us should see those.

Thanks!

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Your questions got me thinking about the history and how we got here. This exchange between Asst City Mgr Jennifer Prochazka and I captures up the pivot point, if you will, between the old plan and what would become where we are today.

https://wtaw.com/the-future-of-a-former-college-station-ballpark-complex-comes-up-at-the-last-city-council-meeting/

This is right after we were told about the soils problem. I was getting a lot of feedback from disappointed baseball folks. Council decided to repurpose the park but baseball fields were essentially dead at this point. As Jennifer ably communicates, staff had been directed to meet with the baseball community for a potential Plan B. We were also thinking about doing nothing with baseball. I recall mayor and I agreeing we needed to do something, though.

We would ultimately repurpose TIP and direct staff to "find a way" on expanded baseball capacity and they set about doing that very thing.

I don't think you're going to find any baseball field conspiracy, Brian. But do as you must.

Respectfully

Yancy '95