By Kyle Roberts
Both Ruston city Mayor Ronny Walker and Lincoln Parish School Board President Gregg Phillips (District 8) responded to questions regarding whether the school board made any payments to the city for Ruston High School’s use of the tennis courts and softball field at the Ruston Parks and Recreation Sports Complex.
And both agreed that in the four years, no payments have been made.
“There is a lot of misinformation out there, and I want to give facts,” Walker said. “The city has received zero dollars from the school board for the last four years for tennis and softball, and we, the city, have received zero payments because there is not an agreement. Hopefully, there will be an agreement very soon. We made an offer to the school board, and I believe they will bring that up in May or June.
“But for people who are saying (the cost has) gone up — no, we haven’t gone up. In fact, we’ve offered less than what we started out with.”
Phillips answered the same question prior to a public forum Tuesday night at Ruston High that was held in regards to the April 27 vote on the $17.5 million bond proposal, and he echoed Walker on a possible timeline for a formal agreement to begin.
“The city has not received any funds from the parish school board for access to any of those facilities,” Phillips said. “For several years, there have been conversations between the city and the school board as to what, if anything, the LPSB should be paying to have access to softball and tennis. Within the next 30 to 45 days, an agreement should be finalized, and we’ll have it done.”
A portion of the bond proposal is slated to go to construction for Ruston High’s softball field, which is currently slated to be built on Bittersweet Avenue in Ruston, where the old softball field had been. Walker added that the city is willing to donate the old Ruston Girls’ Softball Association fields located across S. Farmerville Street near the Frosty Factory of America.
Phillips said the school board plans to take all options into consideration should the proposal pass, but the focus is on going back to Bittersweet. He also reiterated that use of funding from the bond proposal would not not contingent on the actual site of the future permanent home for Lady Bearcat Softball.
“It’s something we would need to take into consideration at the proper time, but right now our focus is on Bittersweet,” Phillips said.
