Mayor James Casey told the Vardaman board last night that the town’s Sportsplex lost $25,000 last year.
James Casey
Mayor Casey said the Sportsplex board had been counting on fall youth football and fall slow-pitch softball to make up the deficit, but that didn’t happen.
“There were zero football games this fall and slow-pitch doesn’t bring in much,” he said. “I don’t know what the answer is, but we cannot lose $25,000 a year on it.”
Mayor Casey said there was not a fall football team and that other area towns that had teams in the past, did not have teams this fall.
Total expense for the Sportsplex last year was $62,578 and $37,000 was the total income. Much of the expense was to pay umpires and concession stand workers.
The board agreed to ask some of the Sportsplex members and direct Caleb Tedder to attend next month’s meeting to make a plan to close the deficit.
In another matter, the board approved having repairs on the old water tank.
Mayor Casey said the tank was leaking pretty badly. He said he had found a company to come in and inspect it for $1,500 and if they could make repairs then, it would be $4,500-$7,500.
He emphasized to the board that any repairs done to the tank would be temporary, since the tank is in such bad shape.
The board also discussed auto insurance premiums on town vehicles. They agreed to drop collision on some of the older vehicles.
Town clerk Barbara Tedder said that any city owned vehicle has liability insurance with MML.
Maintenance supervisor Brent Harrell said that all the fire hydrants in town except one had been repaired. He said that one works, but has a leak. He said it will be repaired next month. The board ended in executive session with Police Chief Kenny Scott to discuss personnel.