Council Approves Infrastructure at Field of Dreams Property

At the December 17th Gillette City Council Meeting, the council had consideration of a bid award for the Gillette Softball/Baseball Complex.  The project bid came from Van Ewing Construction, Inc. in the amount of $9,413,727.31 and was contingent upon the approval of the fiscal year 2012-2013 budget amendment.  The costs being considered included the building of four fields and the supporting infrastructure for the Field of Dreams property.

 With some council members being in favor of spending that entire amount and other councilmen not wanting to support any funding for the project, Councilman John Opseth proposed what City Administrator Carter Napier deemed a compromise.  Opseth proposed an amendment to the bid award, allowing for the infrastructure only to be approved.  The council voted 4-3 in favor of that amendment and the new bid award was also approved by a 4-3 vote.  Napier said the new dollar amount without the four fields is 4.3 million dollars.

"At this point in time the direction we have been given is to construct all of the utilities for the property and the grading that would accommodate these fields, as well as a tree line to be planted on the west side which could include upwards of a hundred some trees. It also includes the pathway construction which is about two and a half miles."---Napier

Napier said that no direction was given as to when actual fields will be built on the property.

"At this point I don't have any direction to do anything beyond the 4.3 (million dollars) so the fields would have to come up in the budget discussions, if at all."---Napier

The public was given about sixty minutes last night to address the council members with either their support or disagreements with the plans.  About 12 individuals took that opportunity with about two-third of those individuals speaking in favor of moving the project forward.  City Council members Kevin McGrath, Everett Boss and Robyn Kuntz voted no for both the amendment and bid award.

Gillette City Councilman Robyn Kuntz address budget concerns with Mayor Tom Murphy:

Councilman Everett Boss: 

For More on Field Of Dreams Project: http://www.ci.gillette.wy.us/index.aspx?page=1177