Philpot promises Park District will honor contract to make $50,000 in improvements on two Wavering T-Ball fields

QUINCY — Quincy Park Board President Mark Philpot said the Quincy Park District will honor an agreement made with Darin Dodd, founder of Qtown Tournaments, to make $50,000 worth of improvements in 2025 to one of the two T-ball fields in the Wavering Park complex.

“It was on paper, and we gave our word,” Philpot said during Wednesday night’s Park Board meeting at the Park District’s administrative offices. “It’s very important that when you give your word, you follow up with that.”

Dodd addressed commissioners during the public input section of the meeting. In its fifth year, Qtown Tournaments attracted more than 400 baseball and softball teams to Quincy for spring and summer tournaments played at QU Stadium and five fields in the Wavering Park complex.

Younger teams played on the two fields that the Park District paid $566,091 to have turf installed last spring at the former site of Wavering Pool. Dodd asked the commissioners to spend the money on safety issues at the two new fields instead of moving the outfield fence on the north field.

“The one big concern parents have, and all of us should have, is safety at these new fields,” Dodd said. “The two fields are very close to each other, and the current fencing is not high enough to stop line drive foul balls. A toddler who is simply in attendance or a player who is focused on his game could be seriously injured when a ball from the other field whistles over and hits the child who never saw it coming.

“This should be taken seriously. I hope it doesn’t happen, but it could very well happen.”

Dodd agreed in September 2023 to pay $10,000 a year for 10 years to help pay for the installation of the turf fields. He said the Park District made its $50,000 commitment for field improvements when both sides agreed to that deal.

Dodd said Mike Bruns, director of program services, is looking into the cost of sunshade netting to help protect some spectators from foul balls.

“But that alone will not prevent the dangerous line drive foul ball of entering and possibly injuring people on the adjacent field or spectators between the fields,” he said. “When discussing the budget for 2025, please consider the hundreds of families attending these games. You don’t want there to be any chance of a serious injury occurring that could have been prevented.”

Commissioner John Frankenhoff informed the rest of the Park Board that not only has Dodd pledged $10,000 to help pay for the turf fields but he also paid more than $26,000 in field rental fees.

“When you put in some sort of number for what concession revenues come in (during tournament weekends), in my opinion we could safely say that Qtown is generating $4,000 of revenue — or skin in the game. Now, I realize there are expenses on our side that we incur that we wouldn’t if (Dodd) didn’t operate everything and all that. I realize there’s a balance sheet there, but I just wanted to make the point that there’s $26,000 in field rentals that he is paying for.”

Philpot also said the Park District has pledged to make other improvements to two T-ball fields that were requested by Dodd.

“Darin and I have had a number of conversations. I think we have an excellent opportunity for dialogue, and we definitely have a much better rapport,” he said. “In Finance Committee (before the Park Board meeting), we discussed your request regarding the safety issue, and the notation that you made and that you spoke about in public comment is duly noted.

“People want to have trust and faith in their government, and when you say something, that’s what you should do, especially if you put it in writing.”