Questions raised on complex control

PRESCOTT – Questions were raised at the January meeting of the Prescott City Council Monday night as to who controls the Johnson Sports Complex?

Wesley Ratcliff and Tiffany Moore were on hand to address the issue. Ratcliff told the council he’s emailed the Arkansas Attorney General seeking an opinion as Prescott School Superintendent Robert Poole has been banning people from using a public facility and has reportedly made Facebook posts stating the complex is school property with him having sole authority. Ratcliff said Poole is requiring people to get permission before using the facility.

Ractliff pointed out he coaches 11-year-old baseball, and, until last January, there wasn’t a problem using the complex. He said the complex is maintained by the city and asked for a clarification on the situation.

According to Racliff and Moore, on a Sunday in January 2022, the 11-year-old team was working out at the complex when Poole and his son arrived. The two agreed Poole basically told everyone to leave so he and his son could use the facilities. Moore said she once worked for the Prescott School District, but has since left and taken her children out of the district as well because of this issue. She told the council teams had been using the field for five years prior to last January. “I was there and he didn’t speak to me,” she said, “The next day he emailed me legal documents to be passed to the coaches.”

In June, she said, Poole posted only Prescott students were allowed on the field at the complex and he is now wanting to ban travel teams from using it as well.

Prescott Mayor Terry Oliver said there is an interlocal agreement between the city and school district concerning the complex, which, originally was to include an Olympic-size swimming pool for competition, though these were never built. The agreement, Oliver said, was made and the district has exclusive use of the facility for home baseball and softball games, while other teams are not to be there during this time. The original agreement was four four baseball fields and the pool, but only three fields were build. The interlocal agreement was made in the mid 1980s.

Now, Oliver continued, the school is saying no one can get on these fields for weekend practice, so it may be time to go over the agreement again. He said the district does have, under the agreement, exclusive rights to the complex for district functions and extra-curricular activities. Otherwise the city has sole responsibility for the facility.

Councilman Howard Austin said this is a difficult situation as the Parks Commission, not the council, is responsible for the city’s parks, though the city did finance this. He suggested Ratcliff and Moore address the issue with the Parks Commission.

Larry Jones, electrical operations manager, said Poole has proposed no travel teams be allowed to use the complex and has been going to the park commissioners to influence them to make rules on it. “It’s not a fair contest,” Jones said, “him making the rules for the parks director. This is a big conflict of interest.” Jones added the city and district applied for the grant for the complex, which is under the direction of the Prescott Parks and Recreations Department.

Ratcliff agreed saying city money maintains the complex and if the money is earmarked for something it’s legally binding.

Moore pointed out baseball brings children in from other cities, and they spend money in Prescott. “This isn’t hurting anything, it’s him being vindictive.”