Dear Baseball Softball Friends, March, 1, 2012

The time has come…

The Guam Legislator will hear bill number 348-31, to listen to public testimony to act to

amend section 3 and section 4 of Public Law 28-91, relative to leasing a portion of land

to Strike Zone to establish a 32,000 square foot baseball softball training facility at the

Northern Regional Sports Complex, Dededo.

Bill number 348-31 will be heard on Wednesday, March 7, 2012, 9:00 am, at the Guam

Legislature Public Hearing Hall. I personally would appreciate your attendance at this

hearing and be prepared to give positive oral testimony as to the attributes and social

value to the community of this training center on Guam. You may also provide written

testimony in lieu of oral testimony or are unable to attend. Please refer to the materials

attached that describe the proposal and the public benefits.

Please find included the proposed amended bill (348-31) and also attached the new

language as it relates to Section 1 and section 4 of the bill. Also attached is a brief

overview of the intent of the bill which Strike Zone is asking the Guam Legislature to act

upon.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to discuss the

details of the legislation as it affects your organization and the development of baseball

and softball in the future.

See you on March, 7th

, and many thanks for your attendance and support.

BILL #348-31

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2012, 9:00 AM

GUAM LEGISLATURE

Respectfully,

Bill Bennett

abssasia@ite.net

472-9663

483-6500

483-5452

Strike Zone - Northern Regional Recreational Sports Complex

New Language to Bill 348-31

# 1

There is a dearth of facilities to train the young men and women of Guam in the skills

necessary to play the American team sport that require extremely high levels of

technique, such as baseball and softball. Although Guam has many outstanding ball

players, both in softball and in baseball, there has never been available a single facility

that would undertake the specialized training necessary for these sports. Strike Zone is

requesting permission to lease a portion of the Northern Regional Recreational Sports

Complex for such purpose. The legislature further finds that setting up such a

baseball/softball training facility at the Northern Regional Recreational Sports Complex

is appropriate for the property which was reserved for recreational purposes; transferred

to the Department of Parks and Recreation for its intended use and represents an

opportune facility to train the young men and women of Guam in the skills necessary for

competitive “slow-pitch” and “fast-pitch” softball, and baseball. The legislature of Guam

therefore finds that it is indeed in the best interest of the people of Guam to execute a

lease with Strike Zone for such purpose.

Therefore, to facilitate private investment in sports related facilities for our people

without further delay or public expense, the Legislature reaffirms the government’s

intention to lease recreational land adjacent to present baseball/softball fields for private

development of a related training center, by authorizing and directing the governor to

lease a portion of the Northern Regional Recreational Sports Complex to the applicant

who had received legislative and executive approval in August, 1998, namely, Strike

Zone.

# 4

The terms and conditions of the lease shall require the lessee to indemnify the

government of Guam for any liability arising from the use of the leasehold to include a

lease rental of $1.00 per year. The lease shall include turf maintenance, skinned area

maintenance, common area maintenance, boundary fence and infrastructure maintenance,

field maintenance materials and equipment. The lease shall also include children’s

playground, after school programs, teen outreach program, fight child obesity program

and other programs to directly benefit the community.

“A community family entertainment & learning complex.” Proposal

Strike Zone (SZ) is currently in the process of establishing a Strike Zone Baseball Softball Training Center

on Guam. The site proposal has target the Northern Region Recreational Sports Complex as an ideal

location. Strike Zone has a vested interest in seeing that the complex ball fields are realized at its fullest

potential. It is Strike Zone’s belief that every effort should be made to manage this field complex with the

best possible plan.

SZ is proposing to enter into a long term partnership with Guam Department of Parks and Recreation to

operate/manage the baseball softball facility within the Northern Region Recreational Sports Complex.

Included in this proposal Strike Zone will build a 32,000 square foot baseball softball training facility

adjacent to the existing ball fields.

Strike Zone is requesting: 1. Provide land to build a full service Strike Zone Baseball Softball Training Center (32,000 sq ft)

(Government of Guam is authorized to lease government-owned property for a term not exceeding

fifty (50) years (25 + 25 years)

2. Concession Rent ($1.00/ per year)

In return for full authorization to build and operate the Strike Zone Training

facility under long lease, Strike Zone will commit the following services and

resources.

1. Provide a trained Diamond Keeper to perform the daily protocols:

Turf Maintenance Protocol

Skinned Area Maintenance Protocol

Common Area Maintenance Protocol

2. Provide equipment & tools

a) large equipment

b) small equipment

c) hand tool

d) soils and top dressing

3. Build Equipment Maintenance Storage building

(facility storage of equipment, tools, materials, soils, insecticide, herbicides, work shop)

4. Provide Facility Management Software (facility booking system)

(calendar, planner, registrations, field booking schedules, reservations, confirmations,

bookkeeping, reports, activity logs, cash management)

5. Build a children’s playground & play area-a joint use facility

(playground equipment and surfacing by ASTM standard)

6. Implement and facilitate social welfare programs

a) Lights on After School Program-recreation, fitness, tutoring, counseling, arts & crafts, and social

club activities.

b) After School Teen Outreach Program-Homework, tutoring & counseling center and recreational

activities. (Grad Nation)

c) Fight Obesity after School-muscle gain and fat loss program. Healthy Children Program.

7. Building Flex into the Complex - Multipurpose-Multifunctional-Multiuse facility

Fill time and space with much activity as possible, building flex into the facility with creative

adjustments and programming the field usage

Reasons to Build a Strike Zone Training Center

1. educational training services

2. baseball softball related services

3. meets the theme of greater utilization of the complex

4. positive attraction and overall image for visitors to the complex

5. participate in future growth of the field complex

6. execute the baseball softball academy program

7. fits with sports tourism

8. provide social welfare programs and benefits

9. provide family leisure time activity

10. incoming coach envoy programs

11. special use by schools, youth groups, DYA, etc.

12. academic/athletic scholarships

Why a private operator is better

1. increase complex revenue

2. consistent field maintenance

3. better use of complex resources

4. professional experience and trained staff

5. ability to raise corporate and private funding

6. facility management software

7. facility security