Approving the issuance and sale of Park District Bonds

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South Bend Common Council Page 4 The Park Board held a public hearing at Tarkington School which is con- tiguous to the park land and received many ideas for park development from the residents. Ray Nemeth and myself met several times with committee representatives to work on the park plan. The park plan that will be shown at the May 23 council meeting is the result of these meetings. Yearly maintenance cost for Boehm Park is estimated at one part time employee, $2,000.00; electric current cost for four tennis courts and basketball courts, $900.00; and miscellaneous park maintenance, $2,000.00. Total estimated yearly maintenance cost for Boehm Park - $4,900.00. Liizht Belleville Park Baseball Field The City of South Bend has only one lighted baseball field - Kennedy Park - which is lighted with the energy consuming incandescent lights. The lights were installed in 1947 and because of their age are in poor condition. The ninety foot poles and wiring are also in poor condition because of their age. Another problem with the Kennedy baseball field is its location close to residential homes and the lacking of adequate parking facilities. At the new Belleville Park baseball field, there is adequate parking and the base- ball field has been constructed a long distance from the residential homes. The popularity of baseball in South Bend has increased and the new ball field would be used by high schools, American Legion and other independent baseball teams. Cost for electric current is approximately $1,400.00 a year. The cost is offset by charging for the use of the lights. Construct Four Tennis Courts at Voorde & Riverside Parks With tennis becoming the fastest growing participation sport, the Park Board has received requests from citizens in the Riverside Manor and Voorde Park for tennis courts. As noted in the new park master plan now being finalized, the city has a shortage of twenty -eight tennis courts as per the standard of one court per one thousand population. The eight tennis courts planned will greatly help relieve the shortage of tennis courts in the Northwest section of the city. Light Two Tennis Courts at Marshall Field Even a greater need than additional tennis courts is the need to light our present tennis courts for night play. Many citizens do not have time to play tennis during the daylight hours and there is a definite need for additional lighted courts. South Bend has only twenty -seven lighted tennis courts with fifteen of the courts being at Leeper Park where a fee is charged to play. Electric current costs to light the two tennis courts at Marshall would amount to about $300.00 a year. The remainder of the funds in the bond issue are for a contingency fund, bond cost, attorneys, etc. These funds are detailed in another handout in this package.