More than $5 million in upgrades to the Founders Park baseball field may be delayed, but Islamorada and Monroe County School District officials are going to extra innings with their negotiations in hopes to at least get a new surface in place before the next high school baseball season.
New facilities, including a two-story press box and concession stand, aren’t expected for the next season. But the sides are still hashing out details aiming to install a new artificial turf for 2027. To do so, the school district and village would need to approve a new license agreement before any construction takes place on the field. The agreement gives the Monroe County School District the permission to improve, renovate, operate and use the field, which is owned by the village.
In January, the village council voted 5-0 on a license use agreement that gives them the ability to review and dictate the improvements from design to development. The agreement also spells out use of the field by the school and village.
Council’s approval of a baseball field license agreement came following extensive discussion and debate among the council members, a baseball task force convened by Village Manager Ron Saunders, the public and school district officials.
The school board’s version of the agreement limits the village’s project control, but still gives the ability to review final design and development of proposed structures, turf systems and schedule for development. The village would have 60 days upon receipt of the documents to review for approval or disapproval.
Village Manager Ron Saunders told Keys Weekly on May 19 that the remaining differences between the school district and village are hypotheticals, like what would happen if the village terminates the agreement. The school district’s version of the agreement presents a payback schedule for improvements if the village terminates the agreement.
Saunders said the sides could look to an interim license use agreement for the field portion of the project. That way, discussions could continue in the village over the proposed buildings while taking care of the biggest need at the moment — the field.
“My thought was just figure out on the field. Both sides agreed 5-0 to artificial turf,” Saunders said.
An agreement approved last year by the boards gives Saunders and Monroe County Schools Superintendent Ed Tierney the ability to negotiate. The interlocal agreement outlines the duties and obligations of each side regarding the improvements.
Tierney and Saunders recently spoke on the idea of pursuing the artificial turf surface at the baseball field. Tierney told Keys Weekly on Tuesday he thought it was a smart way to look at it when Saunders proposed the idea.
“The field is most important for the athletes and the school,” Tierney said.
But he said a license agreement has to be approved by both sides before moving forward.
“I think it only makes sense,” he said. “It’s the building blocks to structure the relationship going forward.”
Council members chimed in on the baseball field project during a recent meeting. Councilman Steve Friedman said the field needs to get done.
“Everybody says that’s what we need. These kids need a field to play on and that’s the bottom line,” he said.
While councilwoman Deb Gillis backs the council’s previous 5-0 vote, she said negotiations need to continue.
“There’s going to have to be some room for give, not give up, but just give,” she said.
Mayor Don Horton and councilwoman Anna Richards acknowledged some frustration with the school board’s lack of interest in meeting together as a collective group. Richards went to a school board meeting last month, not as councilwoman, but as a mom of boys who played ball on the field.
“I begged and pleaded to do what’s right for the kids,” she said.
School board members have acknowledged that negotiations from their side should go through the superintendent in speaking with the village manager.
Horton said he’s not giving up on the baseball field. He said he’s individually spoken to a few school board members on the subject.
“We made a 5-0 vote and we’re there, but if there’s a way to negotiate to get this ballfield built … there’s gotta be a way to open that door. Just standing here and saying we voted 5-0 and we’re not going to do anything else is not going to open that door,” he said.
