Abilene approves $1.6 million change order for Sports Complex ballfields

Abilene city commissioners on Monday approved a $1,608,784 change order with Mid-America Sports Construction that adds work on the two existing ballfields east of the Community Center and the high school-age baseball field to the Abilene Sports Complex project.

The change order covers dirt work, drainage and turfing of the infields, new foul poles, new netted backstops, and new irrigation and dugouts at the two east fields. At the commission's previous meeting, commissioners approved reallocating additional funds to finish those fields.

Lighting and electrical work and new fencing for all three fields will be paid by the city directly to those contractors and are not part of the change order. Staff said local contractors are doing that work to save money and that Mid-America is still helping manage and organize it.

Staff said the work renovates the existing fields without changing their footprint, so it does not require a new engineering and design phase.

The project is funded with General Obligation Temporary Notes (2025 Series), with debt service to be paid from dedicated recreation sales tax revenues.

Before the vote, Commissioner Kollhoff said he would not support the change order because there is no guarantee those sales tax revenues will cover the debt.

The change order passed on a roll call vote, 4-1.