(Photo Source: Cortland Crush Twitter Page).
County legislators voted to approve the disbursement of $500,000 in federal funds that would aid in the construction of improved amenities and two new turf baseball fields at Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex on Thursday. The final vote tally was 12-4.
The funding would solidify a partnership between baseball scouting service Prep Baseball Report (PBR) and the town of Cortlandville, but questions about how the funds will be spent remain unanswered.
County legislators approved the $500,000 in funds from the American Rescue Plan — a national stimulus package approved by federal legislators earlier this year — citing the economic development opportunities the deal with PBR could bring.
Legislators Cathy Bischoff (D-LD 3), Minority Leader Beau Harbin (D-LD 2), Ann Homer (D-LD 7) and Douglas Bentley (D-LD 1) voted against the resolution.
The legislators in the Democratic minority cited concerns about the uncertainty of projected revenues, a lack of time for the legislature to fully review the proposal, and its actual impact on the community.
Bischoff also noted she would be voting no on any proposal, since she wants to be able to hear all project proposals first before voting any further.
“We should receive these proposals as a group and then rank them according to what we think are the priorities for this county,” Bischoff said.
Harbin noted he would have wanted a longer timeline for the legislature to review the proposal, noting that the passage of the item seems rushed.
“I am very concerned that we seem to rush through spending half a million in taxpayer money when many of us have not had a chance to look at what is being proposed,” he said.
Harbin also said it is of utmost concern that the field schedules would be controlled by PBR.
During a special Finance and Administration Committee meeting Thursday, Harbin read part of the contract between PBR and Cortlnadville aloud. He highlighted an excerpt that specifies that PBR has control over who can use the baseball fields at Gutchess Park, as it is commonly referred to.
While the company may allow the people of Cortland County to use the fields whenever there are no activities scheduled at Gutchess, Harbin said he would like the taxpayers to have more control over the usage of the facilities.
“My worry is that the members of this board don’t clearly understand that these funds are going to go to build two new ball fields that will cost over $1 million,” he added. “Those ball fields would be under the control of this private for profit company, with the promise that they may be made available for the taxpayers to use, but (PBR) gets to dictate when that happens.”
Throughout the week, Harbin has said he would support a resolution that directs the federal funding toward proposed amenities that will benefit a wider portion of the local population, such as walking trails, volleyball and pickleball courts, and improved facilities.
“I am happy to move forward to support a park for everyone,” he said. “I am not in favor of supporting a park for a private corporation with the promise of economic development down the line. This (proposal) is not a rescue plan for the people of Cortland, this is a rescue plan for a private corporation.”
Legislator Richard Stock (D-LD 6), who was a longtime general manager of the Ramada Hotel in the city of Cortland, supported extending federal funding for the proposal.
“I filled 146 rooms because of the events (PBR) hosted in the town,” he said. “(People attending these tournaments) contribute to our economy and we need that. We really do need that.”
Legislator Ronald VanDee (D-LD 4) highlighted the opportunity for economic development as an opportunity for the county to “get on top of things.”
“I think this is a great thing and there is no way I can vote no,” he said. “This is going to create jobs, hotels, and contribute with occupancy and sales tax.”
The Cortland Voice previously reported on the Cortlandville Town Board’s approval of the new deal with PBR.
You can read about it here: https://cortlandvoice.com/2021/08/09/town-of-cortlandville-reaches-agreement-with-sports-organization-videos-included/
The 100-acre sports facility, located next to Byrne Hollow Farm along the southern portion of Route 13, opened its doors in 2018, wrapping up what officials called phase one of the project.
Gutchess Park currently supports several regional baseball tournaments, as well as several high school baseball teams from across the county, including the Cortland Crush. When the project wraps up, it could have a price tag between $16-18 million.
CRSC members noted they hope the PBR agreement, which will yield a yearly management fee of $218,000 paid to Cortlandville by PBR, will help offset some of those costs.
The agreement will run for 10 years, with two options to renew for five more years each. The disbursements to Cortlandville will be monthly, according to John Delvecchio, an attorney representing Cortlandville.
Delvecchio added Homer High School, Cortland High School, Cortland Crush, and Little League organizations would also pay a yearly fee to Cortlandville of around $20,000 to use the facilities.
Perhaps the biggest income stream sports tourism officials are banking on is sales tax generated from tournaments hosted at Gutchess.
From June through August, roughly 5,632 people visited Cortland County due to the tournaments put on at the park, according to CRSC estimates. Athletes and their families made the trip from other parts of New York, as well as the states through the northeast.
