City of Waukesha, WI
Common Council
Dear Council Members,
The members of Waukesha Baseball LLC including myself are very excited at the opportunity to bring Northwoods League baseball and the approved improvements to the baseball facility in Frame Park. After the lengthy and detailed process we have gone through together, we look forward to bring the highest quality product to you and the citizens of Waukesha. That said, we feel the need to begin play in the 2010 season, as opposed to beginning play in 2009, which we had originally planned.
A number of circumstances have led us to this conclusion: The Northwoods League has been gracious enough to extend the deadline to release their 2009 schedule to accommodate the Waukesha Franchise; however, they are being forced to look at the reality of having the improvements to Frame Park completed in time for the 2009 season. The repercussions of not having the ballpark improvements completed on time would negatively affect not only the Waukesha Franchise, but the other members of the Northwoods League, not to mention the high school, college, and amateur teams that count on the Frame Park facility. The economic times in which we live today have contributed much to this delay. We learned last week that materials needed for construction may not be available to complete the project on time due to longer than normal winter plant shutdowns as product demand is low. Gaining final financing has proven to take much longer than before the current economic crisis, leaving the core group of equity investors to bear a larger burden of the endeavor.
With the decision to look towards 2010 for the inaugural Northwoods League season, we will be asking for a revision to the special use agreement between the City, League, and Waukesha Baseball LLC to be brought forward at a future date in the spring of 2009. To show our commitment to the City of Waukesha and our good faith, we would like to offer the following:
1) Renovation of the infield playing surface prior to the summer of 2009. This will allow the other users of the Frame Park ballfield to have the benefit of a new infield playing surface as originally planned.
2) Day to day maintenance of the baseball field beginning in the spring of 2009 as planned, taking over the duties from Waukesha Park, Recreation, and Forestry. This includes mowing and gameday preparations of the baseball diamond in Frame Park.
3) Pay for normal electrical utility expenses associated with the baseball diamond lighting from June through August as the special use agreement called for.
Taking into consideration these and other items, we feel the decision to begin play in 2010 is prudent. As evident from the process we went through this past year, we all are intent on doing this project first class. We believe the extra time will provide opportunity to ensure things are done properly, with an end result that we will all be proud of. As always, I look forward to working with the City of Waukesha to make the approved improvements to the baseball facility at Frame Park, making it the best facility of its kind in Southeast Wisconsin and beyond. I will make an effort to contact each of you in the upcoming days. Please feel free to contact me prior to that if you have any immediate questions or concerns. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Chad Bauer
President
Waukesha Baseball LLC
