(Greensburg, IN) – Greensburg City Council decided Tuesday night that no further financial contributions would be made at this time for the ball diamond renovation project at the Decatur County Sports Complex.
Rob DeHoff with Decatur County Parks and Recreation appeared before council again this month to ask for an additional $200-thousand to complete the installation of turf on the four back diamonds at the sports complex. Turf is now being installed on the other four diamonds.
DeHoff made the initial request last month, but after a lengthy discussion, none of the councilmembers offered a motion to contribute toward the project or enter into a financial partnership.
The city’s Redevelopment Commission previously ponied up 4100-thousand for the project.
DeHoff said the goal of installing turf on the back four diamonds would provide economic benefits to the city, even thought the project is taking place outside city limits.
He added 37 tournaments have already been booked through July 2026 and emphasized the youth in the community would benefit. In addition, DeHoff says the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) has signed a five-year contract with the county which guarantees a minimum of 15 tournaments annually. DeHoff added local teams would still be able to practice and play during times that diamonds are not being used for tournaments.
Several councilmembers expressed concerns about the project, including belief that the fields are being upgraded to mostly accommodate out-of-town travel baseball and softball teams, while local taxpayers would be denied access to a public property.
They also questioned putting up fences and gates with locks, saying local people would be restricted from entrance and use of the facility.
Council voiced concerns about funding, especially when it came to SB 1 and how its passage could affect local government funding, along with several other issues they have with funding the project.
After the discussion ended, Mayor Joshua Marsh asked if there was a motion to financially support the project.
There was no motion made.
Decatur County Commissioner Gabe Nobbe told WRBI News afterward that he is disappointed but respects council’s decision.
“I was really looking forward to a partnership to further this project along,” Nobbe said. “The actual scope of this project and financial is much larger.
“There would definitely be a lot of economic impact to the city,” he added. “What with people coming in, staying at hotels, visiting restaurants, and so on and so forth.”
