Council to create committee to look at ball diamonds

By Rob Vogt, Local Press Writer

Claresholm town council will look at creating an ad-hoc committee to look at all the baseball diamonds in town, before making any decisions on upgrades or changes.

The decision came at council’s May 13 meeting, in discussion about a proposal made by Claresholm Minor Baseball at council’s April 23 meeting.

Minor baseball requested the town postpone any action on Moffatt Field on the west side of the community centre.

That space has been identified by council for a new skatepark.

Minor baseball said Moffatt Field is a great ball diamond and, in an ideal world, they would like a diamond mirroring it constructed to the north.

If that is not possible, and they lose Moffatt Field, they would like movable fences installed at Millennium Park in the northwest end of town top accommodate minor baseball and the reclamation and re-fencing of the east diamond at Centennial Park.

Mayor Doug MacPherson said an ad-hoc committee should be struck as everything needs to be looked at from the budget required to the needs of minor baseball.

“I think it all should be looked at and researched,” he said.

Coun. Lise Schulze said it is important the skatepark not be lost in the process.

“We don’t know the answers,” MacPherson said, and they won’t unless they sit down and look at everything.

Marian Carlson, the town’s chief administrative officer, said all stakeholders are needed at the table, and that includes minor baseball and the skatepark association.

MacPherson said he will bring a structure of that ad-hoc committee back to council.