Batavia Softball League

Mike Jamil wants a lighted field for his softball league.

Kenneth Wolter and Aaron Alwardt want a stop sign on Watson Street.

Batavia City Council heard from these three people on Monday night prior its Conference and Business Meetings at City Centre Council Chambers.

“I need lights,” said Jamil, director of the Batavia Softball League, that he says will field 17 teams for his fall league that starts next week and runs until November. “We can only get four games in at Kibbe (Park). I have facilities looking right at me; there’s a public park over there (Williams Park on Pearl Street).”

Jamil said he asked city officials about the possibility of using the lighted baseball field at Williams Park for his softball league, but was turned away.

“No discussion. It’s a baseball field, for baseball” was the response, Jamil said.

He said that his group would take responsibility for the condition of the field, and noted the only modifications would be that the pitcher would toss the ball 10 feet in front of the baseball pitcher’s mound, and that the bases would be 65-70 feet instead of the 90-feet distance for baseball.

Jamil has at least two council members in his corner at this point.

“I don’t understand why the league can’t use Williams Park when no one else is using that field,” John Canale said.

“If no one is using it, why can’t they use it?” Paul Viele asked.

Council, after being advised by Attorney George Van Nest that the different layout could create “potential ramifications,” said it would look into Jamil’s request in a timely fashion.

Jamil said he ran three leagues in the spring/summer with a total of 27 teams, using Kibbe Park and the unlit softball diamond at Williams Park.

Wolter and Alwardt spoke of issues stemming from the amount of traffic and rates of speed in the vicinity of Watson and Thorpe streets and called for the placement of a stop sign on the Watson Street side.

“Traffic goes by way too fast in my eyes,” Wolter said, noting that there are many children in the neighborhood and they run out in the street for a ball at times. “Why is it a big issue for a stop sign? Could someone tell me why we don’t need a stop sign?”

Both Watson Street residents also mentioned the need for increased police patrol, citing recent disturbances and drug dealing.

Police Chief Shawn Heubusch said that a traffic study was done, but “did not call for a stop sign at that time” and Maintenance Superintendent Ray Tourt added that a stop sign can’t be used for speed control.

City Council President Eugene Jankowski said the solution could be “something else as traffic could be confusing at that intersection.”

“We need to address something over there,” he said.

Council Member Kathleen Briggs said that she and city officials have been contacting landlords, and both Jankowski and Briggs suggested calling Child Protective Services in cases of children not being supervised.

Alwardt agreed.

“The problem is the parents; there is no supervision,” he said.