Farmington OKs spending $32,000 for Jacobs Park
By JEFF LAMPE
For The Weekly Post
FARMINGTON – To accomodate increased participation in softball and baseball, the City of Farmington has approved spending $32,600 for updates at Jacobs Park.
At Monday’s City Council meeting, Alderman Dave Rose outlined plans to build a new T-ball diamond and parking lot, to change the fence at Kersh Field and to make various other improvements at Jacobs Park.
Rose said 257 youngsters participated in Farmington’s summer baseball and softball leagues this year. That included 116 in a T-ball league that returned to Farmington after a stint in Yates City.
To make room for a new diamond for the T-ballers, Rose proposed shortening the fence at Kersh Field from 390 feet to 250 feet. That change will also allow for a 40-foot gravel parking lot between the diamonds and a soccer field at the site.
The largest expense of $21,000 is for the gravel parking lot, which Rose said will accomodate 35 vehicles. He said several more vehicles will be able to park on grass in the area when conditions allow.
Rose said parking is at a premium at Jacobs Park during busy summer nights. He also noted that many grandparents attend T-ball games and the new lot will make their access easier to the new diamond.
Still to be determined is whether the old fence at Kersh Field can be reused or whether a new, portable fence will be purchased.
Other plans for Jacobs Park are to install mats under swingsets and to resurface the basketball court. Rose also plans to have lines painted on the court to allow for use by pickleball players.
Included in the additional $9,600 in costs outlined by Rose are building the T-ball diamond, hauling in two loads of black dirt for Kersh Field and purchasing several loads of diamond dirt.
Council Member Alex Gilles added $1,000 to Rose’s costs for contingencies.
Mayor Kenn Stufflebeam said this year’s budget had included $45,000 for parks and added that there is money remaining to cover the updates. If needed, Stufflebeam said the city could also use TIF funds.
The council also approved spending $5,500 to hire Massey Roofing to seal six skylights on the roof over the Farmington Community Center gymnasium. Rose said one of the skylights has been leaking this summer and another was leaking last winter.
Other expenses approved include $9,750 toward the construction of a new pavilion at Farmington Township Park. The pavilion will be located near the playground equipment and will have room for three picnic tables.
The council also reapproved a $1,000 TIF grant to Helen Starcevich that had first been approved in 2024 but was delayed, and the 2025 Multi-Jurisdictional Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan. Stufflebeam said the latter is a plan from Fulton County FEMA to outline responses to various scenarios. He said the plan may include grants for additional sirens in Fulton County communities.
