NAHANT — The Nahant Community Preservation Committee went over grant applications and funding, of which included roof replacements to multiple properties and an upgrade to the Little League field lights.
After receiving $75,000 in funding from the CPC as part of the FY25 budget, as well as state contribution and a matched donation from Little League, Little League is now requesting an additional $45,000 application for the installation and the electrical work to be completed.
There is also a panel inside the Snack Shack that also needs to be upgraded to provide adequate power to light the field.
“I think it shows the commitment of the Little League, that of an organization that scratches and claws for every dime, offers scholarships to kids to participate in the program who don’t have the means to play, to offer up $30,000 toward improvement of the field here at Nahant demonstrates the commitment and dedication of the Little League we’re all in on this,” said David Elmer, who was representing the Little League.
Some expressed their thoughts over the spending and the value of the investment in the field. Town Administrator Alison Nieto weighed in: “At this point, we’ve spent money, and we have the equipment; it’s just gonna sit there if we don’t have another source to fund this.”
A Nahant resident also voiced her concern over the cost of electricity and the importance of prioritizing Little League in the budget compared to other matters.
“They should be paying for upgrades because I don’t want to, and if it’s going into our budget for the DPW, that just sounds so wrong to me,” she told the group. “… I just hope that personally, I mean, I watch these meetings, and I go to Town Meeting, and I see these more important things being voted for…I’m just kind of flabbergasted that this is actually going to be something that is competing with keeping a roof over our residents heads and fixing the roofing for people who actually have the only affordable housing in Nahant. This feels really on a different scale. For conservation (and) for helping our town get what it really needs.”
The next step is to determine power usage costs and monitor the meter once it is installed.
