VIEW FROM THE FIELD
complex ( which also houses another baseball field and a football field ). In addition , there are typically four staff members who put in 40 hours per week during the summer , but their tasks are also expanded to other New Ulm youth fields .
As facilities maintenance supervisor , Weier is in charge of all New Ulm Park and Recreation facilities , including a recreation center , a civic center , a community center and 42 park units ( the baseball / football complex that is home to Johnson Park is just one of those 42 park units ). There are 12 full-time staff members , and that number grows to approximately 20 with the addition of part-time / seasonal staff .
According to Weier , the workload at Johnson Park is cyclical , but between in-house staff and volunteers , there is someone working at Johnson Park every day . That includes edging , dethatching , aeration and other maintenance duties .
“ Our aeration has lessened because our cores are so sand filled now that we can get them to drag out fairly quickly . We don ’ t have to pick them or collect them ,” he said . “ If we have a game that night or the next day , we will do some minor dragging or brooming to knock those cores down . That ’ s something the user group can help us with .”
Weier said he also trusts the volunteers to spray fence lines . “ If it has been windy three or four days in a row , you can ’ t spray and get drift . So , if Saturday morning is a beautiful morning , I will call our local volunteer and get him set up and he will spend an hour spraying fence lines and killing weeds in off areas like bullpens . We have a local teacher who has worked for us for five straight summers , and he is as good as a full-time turf manager .”
In a typical week , volunteers put in 15 to 20 hours per week maintaining Johnson Park . And according to Weier , having a park that was built in 1938 and has never undergone a full renovation presents unique maintenance challenges . In 1938 , when much of the park was constructed , the materials , designs , playing surface options , spectator experiences and code requirements were significantly different from what is typical today . Everything from the soil specifications and turf seed blends to the player ’ s equipment to the spectator ’ s safety and accessibility needs have evolved over the decades since the facility was designed and built .
“ The technology over the course of 80 years has changed dramatically , and our knowledge base has changed dramatically ,” said Weier . “ There have been some minor attempts at improvements – working from the surface of the turf down – but there was no full turf removal . So , you have a lot of variation .”
Those variations change the dynamics of everything from treatments to irrigation .
“ Everybody ’ s budgets are constrained ,” said Weier . “ The ability to just gut it and start over isn ’ t there , so we have to find creative ways to address some of these things . That ’ s where data collection comes in – compaction and moisture readings ; we try to adjust chemical treatments , fertilizers , even down to different grass seeds in different locations . It is a moving target . So that ’ s where partnering up comes in . The more eyes you can get on it , the better . The team effort approach has produced different ideas that are still in play today .” According to Weier , partnering and growing that mutually beneficial relationship helped earn Johnson Park the Turfco / MPSTMA Field of the Year award , which ultimately helps recruit more volunteers .
“ There is pride and tradition ,” he said . “ This is just one more feather in the cap . If anybody wants to be a part of it , they can . It garners a bit more volunteer willingness . People want to be a part of that type of situation .”
Weier hopes other municipalities and other industry professionals can learn from the model that has worked so well for New Ulm .
“ You have to get past the past ,” he said . “ You have to work and be patient , and be willing to say sorry when you maybe aren ’ t sorry . Develop a long-term
36 SportsField Management | Mayl 2023 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com