By Dale Barnett and Sarah Stephens
Elmore/Autauga News
Photos by Sarah Stephens and Dale Barnett
WETUMPKA, ALABAMA – The outlook for the rest of the season for the Wetumpka Youth League’s ball programs was bleak prior to a meeting Sunday between city personnel and board members. However, after a two-hour closed-door meeting, it was announced that games would resume beginning today, which includes a tournament with 121 teams from throughout our area.
Sunday morning locks were changed at the Wetumpka Sports Complex, while families and board members involved with the WYL were planning a peaceful protest prior and during the announced closed-door meeting set for 4 p.m.
The EAN has reached out to several who were in the private meeting, only to be told “We came to a mutually beneficial agreement.” Some said they had been advised not to speak, at this time, of what that agreement entails. So, while details of that agreement are not yet available, those protesting were ecstatic at the news that the tournament will be played this week, and the rest of the season seems to be ensured to continue.
There is a long history of oddities and strange organizational events between the City of Wetumpka and the Wetumpka Youth League (WYL), which is a nonprofit organization. Former Baseball Commissioner of the WYL, Steve Pribulick, wrote an open letter to the public through Elmore Autauga News. In that letter, he explained the WYL was informed by current Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis in 2014 that the city would no longer operate the concession stand or maintain it at the Sportsplex, nor would the City continue to contribute $50,000 to the WYL at the start of each year, to help pay the costs of umpires.
The WYL was told at that time that the league would only get $25,000 that year and it would be reduced to $5,000 the following year. Pribulick also stated that the concession stand only made around $9,000 under the city’s control but the WYL put plenty of effort into improving, stocking, and operating the business. It improved over the years, eventually making back the $50,000 and then some.
Being a nonprofit organization, the WYL is required to keep updated records and books on all expenses and the plans for all revenue. There are records on how the monies are spent and allocated for the future.
This includes buying equipment and supplies, paying for umpires, stocking the concession stands and sharing certain field maintenance costs with the City of Wetumpka. But the EAN learned there had not been an official contract between the agencies for several years.
The city owns and maintains the fields. The WYL has yearly provided the League’s records to the city according to the WYL Board of Directors. In a letter from the WYL Board of Directors to the players, coaches and parents on Friday, April 22, 2022, the directors stated that the WYL had provided half of the cost ($10,000) to resurface all the fields in February 2021 and had provided Free Fall Ball to 564 kids in the community in 2021 at a cost of $17,000. The League also paid $8,500 to the city for various Sportsplex projects before the 2022 spring ball season started. According to the current WYL Board of Directors, prior to 2021, the WYL usually operated in a deficit and had never been able to assist in paying for projects with the city.
For once the WYL was operating with a surplus of funds and were allocating those funds towards future projects. The board acknowledged that the League has used the fields for many years rent free and thanked the City of Wetumpka for that gift.
One member of the Board told EAN that the League had received copies of two agreements several weeks back and there had been no agreement reached. A meeting was set up for Wednesday, April 27 at 6 p.m. for the Board and Council to meet to discuss an agreement. The Board supported an agreement as beneficial to both sides. The Board advised that on Friday the City sent an email at 4:30 p.m. to the Board to inform the League that the Sportsplex would be closed and locked down as of Sunday morning, April 24 at 8 a.m. and no teams would be playing at the Sportsplex until the City had a signed agreement.
Not only was the action by the City to close the fields affecting the current leagues midway through their season but was right before 121 teams from Holtville, Tallassee, Eclectic, Millbrook, Marbury and Wetumpka, were set to begin a tournament today.
The Board advised they could not accept either of the two current agreements presented to the League by the City since the language was basically allowing the City to take over majority of funds the WYL takes in each year.
Of course, this information spread rapidly through social media and local news. The WYL Board began preparing for the meeting April 24th with city officials.
Many parents, coaches, players and supporters in the community were highly upset. Those on social media were calling the actions nothing more than strong arm tactics by the Mayor and Council and an attempt to take away the funds the WYL had built up. They feared the officials wanted to take back control of the concession stand.
Several of the surrounding community youth leagues learned of the city’s decision to bar the WYL from access to the fields. They stepped up and offered the use of their fields to complete the current season. Eclectic, East Montgomery and Tallassee all contacted the WYL and offered them access to their fields.
Meanwhile, the parents, coaches, players and supporters decided on a different tactic, by organizing a peaceful protest.
The word was spread and it was set for the Wetumpka City Administration building at 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
And show up they did, by the hundreds with Kids, players, parents, coaches and supporters. Many carried signs, and most in uniforms representing their individual teams.
Casey Williamson said “This is all about the kids. I brought my kids today because it is a great lesson for them to learn. Opportunities to protest to do not come up often and this is a chance for them to learn a civic lesson in having a peaceful protest to gain attention to a worthy cause.” Casey is a softball coach and has kids playing in both softball and baseball.
Casey said she brought her Bible with her to the protest, and she led a prayer with the protesters as the closed door meeting was taking place inside. In that prayer she asked for wisdom for all involved, and for everyone to come together to benefit the program and the kids involved.
Gail Armstrong oversaw the concession stand in 2021 and agreed that the business had become an important asset for the League and could earn a great deal of money when operated properly.
Many who spoke to the EAN questioned the timing of the city’s decision. “Why would the city try to hurt the kids?” and “This could have been handled after the present season” comments were plentiful.
They said this is why the parents felt the Mayor and Council were basically being bullies and strong arming the League by pulling this tactic on a weekend to force them to sign an agreement.
Brad Cochrane, Softball Commissioner for the WYL, said “it is hard to determine what the WYL needs to do since the League is getting two different stories from the City about what they want.”
At 3:15 p.m. Sunday the parking lot at the Wetumpka Civic Center was basically empty except for Three vehicles. The view was totally different within another 15 minutes with hundreds of people and cars filling up all the parking spaces. The Board members went inside the Wetumpka City Administration building at 3:45 p.m. while players crowded around the main entrance to the building and began chants of “Let Us Play.”
WYL Board members came to the door several times to ask the kids to keep the noise down since they could not hear in the meeting being held just inside the foyer of the first floor. Many players and parents fired back, “That is why we are here.”
Forty or so players and parents also lined Main Street with their signs chanting “Let Us Play” as the public drove by waving and honking in support of the kids. But due to safety concerns, and some of the adults in the roadway, a Wetumpka Police officers made them move back.
Carl Grier, one of the coaches and an active participant with the League, spoke to the crowd and thanked them for being in attendance.
Grier, a coach for the Price Paint and Body baseball team, kept things organized and peaceful between the crowd and those attending the meeting. The crowd stayed strong and patient while the lengthy meeting continued. At 6 p.m. the City of Wetumpka announced “Lets play ball” on their social media page. While the “mutually beneficial agreement” seems to be in place, most left the meeting and protest with big smiles. EAN will continue to follow this story but for now, many young kids have learned how a community can come together to make their voices heard. And if anyone had any doubt how passionate kids and families are about there ball programs, maybe a lesson has been learned.
See more photos below.
