In March, adults involved in youth baseball urged the City Council to hand over baseball equipment purchased for a city-based league and even some items donated by former Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs.
Officials said the municipality cannot give away city property. In public comment at the March 9 council meeting, City Administrator Rick Smiley said the items had been inventoried and would be sold at auction. Robinson-Briggs asked that at least the items she donated be given to Rev. Jason Greer's baseball league, but was rebuffed.
The controversy over equipment was only part of a running dispute dating back several years over how youth sports should be conducted. In 2011, a Recreation Commission was approved in hopes of defusing the controversy, but it was vetoed by Robinson-Briggs and the council did not have enough votes to override the veto.
After Mayor Adrian O. Mapp took office and named named Veronica Taylor as the new superintendent of Recreation, Taylor became the target of complaints from past employees who objected to her innovations.
The list of baseball items to be auctioned appeared in Thursday's Courier News appended to lists of surplus police and public works vehicles. The auction will be conducted online and bidders must pre-register with govdeals.com. All items are sold "as-is" and successful bidders may be required to "execute a hold harmless and indemnification agreement."
Former Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs donates equipment in 2010.
The online auction will begin at 6 a.m.on July 28 and will close on July 31. Items listed include 18 various bats, 22 bases, assorted gloves and catcher's equipment, 97 baseball trophies, 52 softball trophies and 93 miscellaneous trophies.
--Bernice
I'm glad the city is not willing to give away public equipment when there are enough programs sponsored by the city for the kids. If the private groups want a give-away, then they should have fund raisers like other groups do. That's the American way.
ReplyDeleteWell outsourcing the auction guarantees one thing.And that is residents dont have a chance to really get items because private companies out bid ordinary residents all day long.
ReplyDeleteMaybe there will be peace in the valley of baseball after this is done.
ReplyDeleteused bats @ 7 = 126, used bases @ 10 = 220, used gloves and catchers' stuff 200? grand total = $496
ReplyDelete(the trophies are a waste of money, bid .25 each)