By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
City Administrator John Leach today upheld a city decision to deny an out-of-town group’s request to use Sitka’s fields for a softball tournament, following the Sitka Softball Association’s decision to cancel the Mudball tournament, due to COVID-19 concerns.
The request from a Juneau group came in the wake of the Sitka Softball Association’s “official decision” to cancel its traditional Labor Day Mudball Tournament here.
In his decision today, Leach cited “many factors” involving the COVID-19 pandemic and the safety of players and the public. Members of the Sitka Parks and Recreation Committee also have weighed in against having the softball tournament this year.
In an email to those making the request to hold the tournament here, Leach gave eight reasons for denying the new group’s appeal for use of the Kimsham and Moller fields for a Labor Day tournament. Among them were the requirement in the city’s field use guidelines for a 45-day notification; risks to first-responders and police; the virus risk from an influx of participants from out of town; liabilities to the city, and the state mandate limiting group gatherings.
The administrator also noted the effect the tournament could have on the Sitka School District’s school reopening plan, which depends on having a low number of COVID cases in the community.
Leach said the current 14-day count of positive COVID tests is at eight.
“If we reach a 14-day case count of 12, we will be forced to have students attend school remotely, which doesn’t allow businesses to open since parents will need to stay home for childcare,” he said. “This will disproportionately impact economically disadvantaged children and families and is a risk that the EOC, the Park & Rec committee, and SSA takes very seriously. Hosting visitors increases our risk of an increasing case count.”
He also said holding the tournament makes no sense in light of difficult decisions to cancel other local events to protect the community.
“Sitkans have had to sacrifice hosting and participating in many events that are important to our community,” Leach said in his written decision. “We canceled our 4th of July festivities, Alaska Day has already been canceled, and Sitka Softball Association rightfully canceled Mudball. Allowing another tournament to take place after we’ve taken so many steps to protect our community is counterintuitive to our mitigation efforts.”
In point seven of his eight-bullet points Leach cited the Sitka Softball Association’s 7-1 vote against hosting the tournament “after witnessing one of its own members test positive this season which resulted in a temporary shutdown of Sitka’s Courthouse following contact tracing.”
He concluded: “Sitka’s Emergency Operation Center, the Parks & Rec Committee, and the Sitka Softball Association have all recommended against approval of the tournament.”
