City Council to Discuss Baseball in Wednesday Closed Session

City Council will meet in closed session at 5:30 Wednesday to discuss two items, according to the agenda.

Council will consult with City Attorney Kathleen Dooley regarding the legal aspects of the proposed baseball stadium process and the status of negotiations with the team.

City Council on June 11 unanimously approved spending $50,000 to "evaluate options regarding the establishment of a minor league baseball team in the City of Fredericksburg."  City leaders are courting the Hagerstown Suns. 

Virginia Deputy Attorney General Richard F. Neel Jr. ruled June 6 that a special tax district can be formed in Fredericksburg to help fund a stadium.

Current discussions in Fredericksburg are reportedly for the Suns to provide the city $3 million for land in Celebrate Virginia, and the city then to issue up to $30 million in bonds to build a 5,000 seat multi-use stadium.

Hagerstown Councilman Lewis C. Metzner recently told the Herald-Mail Hagerstown might be close to forging its own deal to keep the Suns.

City Council will also have a closed session discussion about the performance of specific appointees of the City Council.  They are the Clerk of
Council (Tonya B. Lacey), City Attorney (Kathleen Dooley), and City Manager (Beverly Cameron).