Jan 28, 2016 3 min read

A fee increase for field usage at North Strabane Municipal Park irked a few ballplayers, who complained Tuesday to supervisors that the cost to play is just too high.

“They’re basically saying we’re not welcome,” said John Greenlee, president of the Washington-Greene Adult Baseball League, after the township’s legislative meeting.

The comment came after Chairman Brian Spicer suggested the group look elsewhere for a facility if they weren’t satisfied.

Supervisors approved a new fee schedule with increased rates for nonresidents for use of the baseball field, lighting and synthetic field.

The nonresident fee for baseball field rental doubled from $125 to $250 per season. The cost for township residents didn’t change, and Greenlee, of East Bethlehem Township, noted his organization – composed of seven teams that use the township’s facilities – includes several players from North Strabane.

“The constituents I represent from this area are not from the outside,” he said. “If they’re going to raise rates, we’re looking for improvements.”

Township Manager Frank R. Siffrinn presented a list of groups using the facilities, and the percentages of their North Strabane members.

“We have a number of nonresident groups using the fields that have absolutely no township residents,” Siffrinn said. “I think (supervisors) wanted to make a distinction between residents versus nonresident groups – there should be some discount for residents.”

Siffrinn said when groups request a field, they provide a roster of players and their addresses. Groups that have higher percentages of township residents are given first choice in field times.

“We just wanted to be fair about it,” he said.

Siffrinn said the fees are very competitive compared to other municipality fees. He also noted pavilion rental did not increase.

Pavilion rentals generate about $35,000 a year for the township; baseball fields generate about $20,000; and synthetic fields about $30,000.

Supervisor Sonia Stopperich was the only member to vote against the fee increase.

The board also directed Siffrinn to work on revising the job description for the prospective hiring of a parks and recreation director.

The position has been vacant since Greg Sulc resigned in March 2014 while under vestigation for improper use of his township cellphone and computer. Since that time, responsibilities of the park have been shouldered by other township employees.

An agreement with YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, which provided services such as concession stand staffing and summer day camps through 2015, was terminated by the board in September.

Stopperich reported she met with YMCA officials, who are “very confident about moving forward” with a $14 million, 55,000-square-feet facility in or near the park. The township would be responsible for half the funding.

Siffrinn said the facility “could be here as quickly as 2018.” He will facilitate a meeting between supervisors and the YMCA, as well as a tour of a similar operation in another area.

In other business, supervisors approved the hiring of a full-time police officer at a pay rate of $32 an hour and full benefits.