(Photo Source: Unsplash)
The town of Cortlandville and Prep Baseball Report reached an agreement on Wednesday to become partners of operations at the Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex.
Prep Baseball Report is an independent baseball service that promotes and scouts amateur baseball across the country.
The town board at its meeting on Wednesday voted 4-1 in favor of the agreement, contingent on if a permissive referendum is needed. The agreement starts out with a 10-year term, with two separate five-year renewal options.
PBR has agreed to pay over $18,000-a-month (or $218,000 per year) to the town. Payment to the town will exceed $3.27 million in a 15-year period, and $4.36 million in a 20-year period.
Also part of the agreement, Cortlandville is legally responsible to construct two fields and additional parking. The construction, which is part of phase two of the sports complex that is slated to be completed in 2022, is projected to cost between $750,000 and $1 million.
The town and PBR will each deposit $15,000-a-year into an escrow fund, which will be used for turf maintenance of the baseball fields.
Income for the use of the baseball fields at the sports complex will be split. PBR will receive all income produced by their events and tournaments. The town receives income from local baseball teams using the facility, including the Cortland Crush (and the Jr. Crush squad), the Cortland and Homer High School baseball teams, and Little League teams.
Here is a video of a variety of spectators speaking during the privilege of the floor portion of the meeting. Jared Carrier, vice president of operations for PBR New York & Pennsylvania, spoke on behalf of the agreement. Residents Bob Martin and Pam Jenkins, former town attorney John Folmer and Homer varsity baseball coach Robert Nasiatka also spoke at the session. (Start video at 22:58)
Here is a video of New York state senator Pete Oberacker, Machell Phelps (executive director of the Cortland Regional Sports Council) and John McNerney (Cortland Youth Bureau Director) speaking in regards to the agreement between Cortlandville and PBR. The video then leads into the town board’s discussion and agreement with PBR.
