The Chamois softball team sponsored by Jerry’s Stop & Go and Roomerz Restaurant and Bar is not happy about paying a $25 fee for the use of the ball field at the city park, Nicole Backes told aldermen at their last meeting on behalf of the team.

“They’re (the players) agitated because they’ve been playing on this field for 30 years or longer, and all of a sudden, randomly, during the season, it just got slapped in the paper that it’s $25 (to play on the ball field),” Backes said.

“We’re just trying to cover the lights,” Alderman Matt Shockley said. “We’re not even getting the whole electric bill covered.”

“But what’s on that electrical grid?” Backes asked.

“Just the lights,” Mayor Elise Brochu explained. “The ball field lights are on their own bill.”

“They had an electrician go down there and look at the lights and estimate the amount of electricity they would use in a year and the electrician said they shouldn’t be using over $7 per night,” Backes said.

Brochu questioned whether the softball team had hired an electrician to go to the city park and evaluate the electric. Backes explained that it was an electrician that had used the park frequently for family events and not someone the team had hired.

Brochu noted that the city received the bill for the ballpark lights regardless of the electrician’s opinion or estimate.

“The team wants nothing more than the park to be an awesome, beautiful place for everyone to enjoy,” Backes said. “They know that other teams in the league have to pay a fee to play on their fields, but the difference is those other teams aren’t expected to maintain the field.”

Backes showed aldermen pictures of what the field looked like before the first game of the season was played. She contends that if the team is expected to pay for the use of the field, the city should keep the field in playable condition. She noted that the softball team has maintained the ball field for years. 

“I agree it’s a lot of work to keep it clean, and then we’re throwing $25 at it,” said Alderman Marty Gerloff. “The amount of money it is going to cost to pay (Utilities Supervisor Danny Kirsch) to go down and take care of it is going to cost more than what we’re getting out of it. I played down there for 20 years. We always took care of the field.”

Backes also took aim at the park contract, noting there were several discrepancies she believes are not binding as a contract and said that the contract listed the rental fee at $30 and requested a deposit.

Brochu noted that the team had been given the contract to rent the park out for an event by mistake and that there is no contract for renting just the ball field, just the $25 fee.

Backes had written up her own contract for renting the ballpark and stipulated the responsibilities of the city and those of the team. One thing Backes alluded to was that the trash cans at the park are always partially full before a game.

Shockley noted that when he has rented the park before, he just empties the trash cans and doesn’t complain about it.

“Don’t you feel that if you are renting it, that it shouldn’t be your responsibility to take the trash out?” Backes asked.

“But we can’t always keep it clean because it’s a public park,” Shockley countered.

“I understand that, but if they are paying to play on this field, the facilities should be clean,” Backes argued. “The bathroom you’re unlocking for them should be clean and stocked. If they are paying for this field, it should be (dragged) and ready for them.”

Aldermen tabled further discussion until the August meeting.

In other business, the city is looking to hire some part-time help for Kirsch, who requested that the city hire someone to help him with water leaks and to work on the weekends.

“I would like some help, so I don’t have to be here seven days a week,” Kirsch said. 

Aldermen will discuss an hourly rate and work the amount into the budget at their next meeting.

• Resident Cheyanna Wolf told the board that her water bill showed an overdue balance even though she had made her payment. 

“The last payment I made was $200, and I typically pay in cash,” Wolf explained. “I recently switched my job, so it doesn’t work out with your hours.”

City Clerk Meghan Birmingham noted that Wolf has always paid her bill in full and on time. Birmingham only shows a $100 paid towards Wolf’s account, not the total $200.

“The problem we have is when people put cash through the door, we don’t know how much cash was put through the door, and we’ve had a fair amount of times when people say that they paid with cash, and they say what the amount is, and that’s not actually what’s in there,” Brochu said. “It’s not at all that we don’t trust you personally; it’s just that we’ve had this happen before.”

Brochu noted that the city is considering no longer accepting cash payments to avoid these problems.

Alderman approved a payment plan for Wolf to pay an extra $20 per month until her account is paid in full.

Brochu added that Wolf could also apply for the Water Assistance Program now that her account was delinquent and maybe get some help on the past-due balance.

Alderman Jim Wright volunteered to count any customer’s cash payment with them at his house if City Hall was closed.

• Aldermen approved outstanding bills totaling $10,996.59.

• Chamois had the following account balances: cemetery fund ($10,286.17), general fund ($20,026.73), water fund ($175,961.44), sewer fund ($87,829.84), city CBDG in and out ($1,250), city park ($2,696.59), ARPA funds ($38,606.84), sewer bond reserve ($26,666.91), sewer repair ($6,919.88), city cemetery ($20,366.59), meter deposits ($22,515.30), and water repair ($28,942).

• The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on Aug. 10 at 7 p.m.