County to start Bigfork field upgrades

Baseball season starts this week in Bigfork, and despite a tightening of pocketbooks, the Flathead County Parks and Recreation Department is scrapping together funds to make some needed improvements to area fields.

"Donations aren't what they used to be with the economy the way it is, and we aren't receiving as much federal funding as we used to," said Robert Tuman, a supervisor at FCPRD.

The primary concern is the lack of parking at Carlisle Johnson Field, which will host opening day for Bigfork Youth Baseball on Saturday, May 2. There are only about 75 designated parking spaces in the lot adjacent to the field, which is supposed to accommodate players, coaches and spectators for the two soccer fields and two baseball fields. In the past, people have parked on the edge of the adjacent road, Shawnee Drive, which is a private road.

"The main goal is to get people to stop parking on the side of the road so if there is an emergency, vehicles can get through," said parks director Jed Fisher.

Ideally the department would like to level out the grassy area north of the current parking lot and extend the cemented area. However, that would require an estimated 500 truck loads of dirt to be removed from the site, and a total of close to a $250,000.

"I just don't have the money to do it," Fisher said. "It's going to have to be a fund-raising project by the Bigfork community."

Since a permanent fix is not in the department's budget, they have come up with a temporary solution. People will be able to park on the grassy area north of the parking lot and an additional outlet is being put in to Shawnee Drive. Also, Martel Construction has invited people to park in their lot during non-business hours. Additionally, the parks department is currently working to put together liability protection for a resident who has offered the use of his land for people to park on during events.

"The neighbors are being real cooperative," Tuman said. "That's what I got out of the meetings we've had with them. They really want this to be a fun park for people to use and are willing to help make that happen."

Another form of cooperation that the department is hoping to get to ease parking problems is for those who want to use the field, or any of the county's fields, to fill out a use permit by calling 758-5800. It has always been required that notice be given to the department by anyone who intends to use the field in order for patrons to be covered by the county's insurance and for the county to be covered for any liability as well. However, this policy has not been followed as closely as it should due to a lack of signage, which the department will be installing this spring.

The department is also now requiring those that use any of the county fields to pay a small fee in order to help cover costs.

"It's the only way we can afford to keep up the 85 parks in the Flathead County while operating on the same fiscal budget we have had for 10 years," Fisher said.

Bigfork will see the return of those fees in the form of general maintenance including landscaping, restroom upkeep and garbage service, as well as renovation. The field at Potozny Park will be getting a new chain-link fence on the east side of the field, where the parking lot is, which will cost the county around $3,000. Also, the department plans to rebuild the dugouts at that field, including installing new benches, which will cost more than $2,000. Both projects were selected because they were seen as safety hazards. They are expected to be completed over the next few weeks unless the weather gets consistently warmer and crews need to concentrate their time on general maintenance.

This fall the Aero Lane field will get new dugouts as well, but a lack of time and money is keeping that from happening until after the summer.

"It's just little steps right now, but it is stuff that needs to get done," said Brenda Jordt, who helps run the Bigfork Youth Baseball program and is on the Bigfork Parks Advisory Board. "I just hope it gets done and isn't just talked about."

The Bigfork Parks Advisory Board has been working with the county over the last three years to ensure that the parks are maintained and updated as needed.

"We've been working on this in the park board for three years and we feel like we've just been spinning our wheels," Jordt said. "It all just boils down to money really."

The board was asked to come up with a list of needs for the 20-year plan that the county is developing for improving their parks and recreational sites. Although they have a lengthy list of items that they would like to see completed, they are encouraged by the effort the county is putting into the Bigfork parks.

"The big money items are going to have to wait, but the county is addressing our immediate needs and taking care of some of the things that need done," said Mike Peterson, head of the Bigfork board. "You can only do so much with the money you have."

In general, Peterson said that he thinks the Bigfork parks are in good shape for the upcoming spring and summer seasons.

"I think the parks look good as a whole and just need a little bit of routine maintenance for the most part," Peterson said. "Mainly it's about safety and doing what we can with what we have to work with."