CHAFFEE COUNCIL STUDIES LIGHTS AT HARMON FIELD

CHAFFEE -- The Chaffee City Council Monday night moved a bit closer to getting new sports lights for Harmon Field.

A representative of a Muscatine, Iowa, sports lighting company will appear before the council to discuss possible purchase by the city of new lights, Chaffee officials said. City Councilman Tom Cunningham of Ward 4 asked that the representative appear, if possible, before the council at its next meeting in two weeks.

City officials have said the lights at Harmon Field are old and need to be replaced. They have also said the current lights are inside the park's fence and that the new lights should be on the outside.

Last month, Chaffee voters rebuffed a park tax increase that would have provided more money to help buy the lights.

An organization called the Country CBers has raised close to $14,000 to help replace the lights, said Delbert Horman. Horman, who is affiliated with the organization, appeared before the council Monday.

"We're getting to the point that we need to do something with the lights out there," he said. "(It's) dangerous at night. You know there's a problem when you've got your older kids playing at 6 o'clock and your 11- and 12-year-old kids playing at 8:30 and 9 o'clock at night when they should be home in bed."

Some baseball teams, Horman said, are now even talking about refusing to play on the field, including teams with the junior and senior Babe Ruth leagues.

"The only way we can compete is by a league combined of other towns. Also, the Babe Ruth organization in the state of Missouri and across the nation is beginning to look at our park and how they're not hosting any more tournaments here," he said.

The new metal halide lights would cost $38,000, said Horman. Installation and removal of the current lights by the company would cost another $18,000, he said.

To lease-purchase the lights, with the cost of installation and interest figured in, would cost the city $13,900 a year over five years. Without the installation, Horman said, the annual cost would be $9,500 over five years.

Horman said, "If we get them put in, they'll be the best lighting system in Southeast Missouri on a field. Right now you can't even read our scoreboard from the bleachers at night."

Ed Gauthier of Ward 2 said the city might be able to get around the installation cost by using the Army Corps of Engineers.

Ward 3 Councilman Danny Finley said Monday that he wanted to move ahead on the issue in some way. The Country CBers, he said, have done a lot of work toward trying to get the new lights, which have long been needed.

"The tax was voted down, but still ... I think if we show the citizens that we're going to do something, maybe the next time the tax comes around they'll say okay."

In other action Monday:

The council approved the payment of $13,230 for a new police car. Chaffee Police Chief Jerry Bledsoe said the car is a 1992 Ford Crown Victoria.

Council members approved a $450,000 building permit for First Midwest Bank of Chaffee, one of several building permits approved.

The council approved a resolution for a five-year special use permit for a bait and fishing shop at 332 West Parker.

The council held a closed session to discuss personnel. Jerry Wolsey, a councilman in Ward 1, did not attend Monday's meeting.