Baseball request to tap tourism fund fails to get okay

A proposal to tap the city’s tourism fund to help support the Palouse Summer Series baseball program, which draws teams from most parts of the state and other states, failed to get past the Colfax City Council Monday night. Proposed by Scott Parrish, who took over management of the baseball series this summer from Burdette Greeney, the request asked for $3,250 for the summer series.

City Treasurer Mark Clinton presented the proposal to the city council. The measure died for lack of a motion to approve it.

Clinton noted the basis for the proposal was the amount of visitors the series brings into Colfax. The visitors include players, coaches, family members and fans.

Games are played at McDonald Park in Colfax, WSU’s Bailey-Brayton Field and the Pullman High School field.

In his written request, Parrish said the noted the summer series provides a chance to showcase the field and facilities at McDonald to a wide variety of teams from all over the Northwest. Players include some of Washington State’s most elite baseball programs.

McDonald this year also served as one of four playoff sites for American Legion regional games. The Palouse Patriots, which includes players from Colfax, Pullman and SE league schools, qualified to play in the regionals which wrapped up the action at McDonald for another season.

This year series ran from the first week in June until mid July.

Parrish sought $1,000 for field maintenance expenses, $2,000 for field rental and $250 for a rebuild of the mound. He noted most of the actual game time on the field comes from Summer Series games after the short high school season.

The tourism fund derives from hotel/motel tax revenues.

Treasurer Clinton said city approval of funding the rental would involve a simple transfer of funds out of the tourism fund and into the park fund. He said field rental at McDonald is $150 per game. In the event players on either team are from Colfax, a charge is not filed.

Mayor Norma Becker pointed out the city already budgets $15,000 into the McDonald Park maintenance fund. She noted the tap for the summer series would leave that much less for the Chamber of Commerce.

Kathy Mayer, representing the Chamber, said they probably wouldn’t object to others tapping the tourism fund as long as it brings more people into Colfax to generate business.