The Albert Lea City Council is considering options for updates to Snyder Fields as it is negotiating a new lease with Riverland Community College for use of the fields.

Albert Lea City Attorney Kelly Martinez said during the council’s work session Monday the city’s contract with the college — which is under the Minnesota State system — is expired, and the two entities have been working out a new agreement.

Rather than a 10-year lease like had been in place previously, the entities are considering a 20-year lease with a three-year termination notice in the case either entity wants to cancel the agreement early.

Martinez said the college has also agreed to reimburse the city for upgrades made to the property — 80% for the first five years, 50% for years six through 10 and 25% for years 11 through 15.

Under the agreement, the city would pay $10,000 for use of the space the first year, $10,000 in the sixth year and then $2,000 annually after the 10th year — for an average of $2,000 a year over the 20-year span.

Assistant Public Works Director Phil Wacholz said the first three of the five fields were built in 1979, along with the concession stand, and two additional ones were built the next year. The city has provided perpetual maintenance of fences, lights, parking lots, dugouts and drainage, among other improvements.

He said a study conducted in 2008 showed the facility had safety concerns and suffering aesthetics. Martinez noted the fields are also not accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Wacholz presented three options for upgrades to the fields to the council.

First, he said the city could do nothing or essentially continue with minimum maintenance and fix things when they are broken.

Second, it could keep the existing field layouts and make incremental improvements on things such as parking, draining and lighting.

Third, it could do a complete facility overhaul, possibly rearranging and rebuilding the fields. This option would be at least $5 million.

He said the concession area could be expanded to include some play equipment for children and a place with shade for people to eat under, along with sanitary restrooms.

Other improvements could include paving and striping the parking areas, updating security and field lighting, updating drainage and replacing fencing and backstops.

He estimated total improvements with the existing layout would be about $1.3 million.

Wacholz estimated the concession area, including the playground equipment, would be about $350,000 to $400,000, and the parking improvements would be about $300,000.

The lighting would be $25,000 to $30,000 per field.

The drainage updates would be completed one field at a time over a few years.

“It really is a great place to spend the weekend playing ball, but it could be so much more,” he said.

Albert Lea Mayor Vern Rasmussen Jr. said he did not think there was any way the city would have $5 million to $7 million to put toward the third option.

Third Ward Councilor Jason Howland asked Wacholz to bring back options for if a new complex was built at a different site.

Martinez and Wacholz said they will go back and negotiate a start date for the lease agreement, after which the issue will be put up for a vote before the council. 

During the council meeting held after the workshop, the council:

• Declared Wind Down Wednesdays as community festivals, which allows on-sale businesses to participate without a caterer’s permit.

• Approved the purchase of a CAT 930M wheel loader for the street department for $224,000. The wheel loader will come outfitted with a bucket for moving and loading materials and a plow for snow removal.

It will replace a 2001 CAT 938G wheel loader, which will be auctioned online using a competitive bidding process because the trade-in allowance by the dealer came in less than expected at $34,000.

The equipment will not be sold for less than the trade-in allowance offered by the dealer.

The budgeted amount for the new equipment was $155,000.