Fairgrounds board seeks change in ball fields

After the Marshall County Board of Supervisors created a design for baseball and softball fields to be built at the Marshall County Fairgrounds, members of the Fairgrounds board turned up to the August 7 meeting of the board of supervisors with a counter proposal.

Van Beasley and Arthur “Bo” Sellers spoke on behalf of the group.

Beasley said that the July 17 meeting of the Marshall County Sports Complex, in April 2022, was the first the Fairgrounds board had heard of the county building ball fields project.

The group wanted the ball-fields built on the north side of the ditch in a 200-acre tract of land instead of on the main Fairgrounds campus.

“We hoped it would be put over there,” Beasley said.

“There are some issues of holding multiple events - barrel races and ball games on the same day. It really looks like it would conflict. We are strongly for the ball fields and soccer fields, but do not like the location.”

He said there would be a need for two fields each for baseball tournaments and soccer and read out the number on the Fairground committee who objected to the location.

County engineer Larry Britt has worked close to a year designing the layout of the proposed ball fields, making numerous presentations to the board as the design was honed. He presented a final proposal for the design at the August 7 meeting.

Beasley said the fairgrounds had been in use as a Title 4 and agricultural center.

That statement drew fire from supervisors, especially District 5 supervisor Ronnie Joe Bennett.

“You made that an Ag center?” Bennett exclaimed. “Who pays for it?”

He said the county paid $100,000 a year for over 20 years for the property.

“We want all the people in Marshall County to enjoy that, because all taxpayers pay for it, he said. “It will cost more money to move it on the other side of the ditch. People think that’s just an ag center, but taxpayers of Marshall County paid for it over 20 years.

“Y’all are appointed out there to do what the board wants done. Nothing can be built under power lines - in 250 feet either side.”

Sellers said the only reason the fairgrounds committee brought the matter up of moving the project to the back side was to build more ballfields for very large tournaments and for plenty of parking.

“With three fields it’s not helping us with the county kids we have in the county,” Sellers said. “It will be a problem for horse shows.”

He said there is a need for an area for small kids.

District 4 supervisor George Zinn III expressed strong opinions about the counter proposal being brought forward at the point where the county already has a design in place.

“I’m in total opposition to change things at this time,” he said. “I think it would be a lot easier if the fairgrounds did some expansion on the back side. I think it could be done given the county is going into this with a dire need for some recreation. To stop right now, it’s a good probability this (ball fields) project may not get done.”

District 1 supervisor Charles Terry joined the discussion, adding more fuel.

He asked if Ken Jones, appointed to the fairgrounds board by the board of supervisors, was kicked off the board.

“I can’t see anyone moving a person appointed by the board off the (fairgrounds) board,” Terry said. It is inappropriate and out of place. “It’s hard for us to build a complete complex at one time. I think there could have been some collaboration between the city and the county. It could be where championship games are played.”

He said clearing land to create more parking is more important at this time than building more fields.

Sellers said parking for tournaments would conflict with horse show parking needs when both are scheduled the same day.

Terry said the parking lot is not going in right at the fairgrounds where horse show parking would go.

“What we are trying to do is so people in the county can be represented, not just of a horse show,” Terry said. “I think what Zinn and Ronnie Joe said - we got things in place now.”

District 3 supervisor Keith Taylor said Bennett appointed Jones to the fairgrounds committee board because of Jones role as manager of the fairgrounds.

Beasley said that the board president dismissed Jones.

“It’s very seldom we have a quorum at a board meeting,” he added.

Sellers apologized to the board for the committee taking Jones off the board.

Taylor replied.

“This board, we know there is a need of something for kids to be able to do,” he said. “We went out to get (corporate) donations to save taxpayers money. I want good sports.”

“We are trying to keep our children instead of going to Snowden Grove Park, Tupelo or New Albany,” Sellers said.

“I have seen it in Hernando, people come over from the ball fields to the horse shows,” Beasley said.

“If we want to expand (the ball fields) we can go across the ditch,” Bennett said. “The ag part has still got a lot of room in back. In New Albany, where they have eight to 10 fields, thousands of people come. Parking is huge”

Zinn brought back up a proposal at one time to build horse riding trails in the woods.

“It was a liability (for the county) for trail riders to go back there,” Jones said.

Beasley apologized to Jones for the recent actions of the fairgrounds committee.

Bennett said parking for ball games will be on the left side of the entrance road after the gate.

“We want parking 100 feet from the gate to the left,” he said.

“The only problem we used to have at the ball park (in the city) was parking,” Terry said.

“Parking is something we have thought about,” Bennett said.