Council rejects amendment, approves five-year use agreement with Woodbat Baseball for Phil Wall Stadium

The Saint Joseph City Council approved a five-year use agreement with Woodbat Baseball Inc. for Phil Wall Stadium after rejecting an amendment that would have shortened the contract to two years.

An unnamed council member who opposed the five-year term argued the organization appears profitable and should contribute more toward maintenance costs. "They need to give the city just a little bit more contribution," the council member said, adding that the city paid about $20,000 over the last two years for electrical and water at the facility.

The council member formally moved to change the proposed five-year term to two years; another council member seconded. The roll-call vote on the amendment recorded Krauss as "Aye," Randolph and Schomburg as "Aye," and Davis, Grama, Gosendale and Novak as "Nay." The amendment failed and the council then voted on the original ordinance, which passed 7-1.

Clerk read the ordinance authorizing execution of the agreement at the meeting. The ordinance will allow Woodbat Baseball Inc. to use Phil Wall Stadium for a five-year term under the terms described in the ordinance language presented to council.

The council did not adopt any additional conditions in the meeting minutes or on the record beyond the failed amendment and the subsequent approval. No funding or maintenance-cost-sharing changes were approved at the meeting. The mayor announced the final vote as 7-1.

Procedural next steps: the clerk read the bill for first reading and recorded the vote; no further hearings or dates were specified in the transcript.