After passionate feedback from Summit County’s adult recreational league and other sports enthusiasts, Summit County manager Dave Rossi is switching gears to keep the summer ball season alive.
Local nonprofit Summit County Softball had been scrambling to save its summer season since April 9, when Rossi sent a letter to the adult recreational league saying the county would $100,000 if the county did not do regular summer maintenance of the Silverthorne ballfields below Dillon Dam. See the full letter below.
That announcement galvanized the ball community. There has been a change.org petition circulating to encourage support, and to convince the county to keep the field maintained. The petition says, “We understand the financial concerns outlined in your recent letter (below), including the significant annual maintenance costs and the outdated equipment required for upkeep. However, we believe the value this field brings to the community far outweighs the cost of its maintenance, and we propose that collaborative solutions be considered before permanently limiting its use.” League officials also attended the county commissioners meeting Tuesday 1 p.m. to plead their case.
Today, communications director for Summit County, Adrienne Isaac shared, “Simply put, we heard our community, reviewed our approach to ball field maintenance in light of what we learned from the folks who use this important recreational space, and have reversed our decision. Our County Manager has made statements to this effect in several public forums, and we’ll be posting on our social media with a similar statement later today.”
As background the property is owned by Denver Water, but for more than 40 years the county has maintained the ballfields and nearby rodeo grounds. The ball league, founded in 1972, has more than 400 players countywide. The Silverthorne ballfields alone host at least a dozen games and more than 120 players every week, late May through September.
Note: Krystal 93 news director Phil Lindeman plays in this league.