It was a double play at the Great Bend City Council meeting Monday night as the council authorized Mayor Mike Allison to sign lease agreements with both the professional Great Bend Boom and the collegiate Great Bend Bat Cats organizers for their 2017 summer seasons. 

At the Sept. 6 council meeting, staff was instructed to determine if it would be possible for both teams to use Al Burns Field at Vets play games in 2017, and for the Boom to also practice at that field. City staff and Great Bend Recreation Commission staff met and worked on details that would make it possible for them to share the facility. 

The staff members came up with a proposed plan and the plan was presented to Commissioner Andrew Dunn of the Pecos League which includes the Boom, and Roger Ward, the former American Legion Baseball coach who wants to bring the collegiate team to town. 

Both agreed to try to work with the suggested plan, City Attorney Bob Suelter said. 

The agreement calls for each team to pay $750 for use of the field for the season, plus each will pay the GBRC $25 per game for field maintenance. It will also be up to the teams’ organizers to hash out scheduling.

Both Dunn and Ward have made concessions on the number of home games they will play and on the length of practices. A final schedule should be in place by the end of the year.

On Sept. 6, Suelter reported on the agreement for the Boom. However, Ward had submitted a request to use the field for a Jayhawk League team that will started up next year. 

Tory Amberger, who will be the 2017 General Manager of the Boom, spoke on behalf of the team. Ward then explained his request for the use of the same field. 

City Staff indicated that two teams practicing and playing on the same field for the season would be hard on the field. Ward indicated that he had permission to use the Barton County College field for practice from the college baseball coach Brent Biggs. 

The council, which was originally just going to vote on the Boom’s request, voted to table the matter and as the city staff to explore ways that the field could be used by both teams.

“I want to commend the staff,” Mayor Mike Allison said. He thanked them for their work on this compromise.

“Instead of a contentious issue, they’ve turned this into a positive for the city,” City Administrator Howard Partington said.