Eunice recreation facility use said to be denied

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We the people of the city of Eunice want to express our concern for being denied the use of the Eunice Recreation Facility for organized sports.
These organized sports teams are made up of Eunice kids. Since the park’s establishment in 2000, we have been denied to have organized practices on these fields. We cannot use the fields or batting cages when they are not is use. We have been continuously speaking with local city officials for well over a year and nothing has been done. These officials have been from the recreation committee to the mayor of Eunice and we still are not allowed to use it. Since there is a gate with a lock it keeps us from entering the facility during the week and weekends. Directors of the recreation are contemplating about making a schedule to use the fields for practices, however, this would have an hourly charge fee. We have spoken to Moss Bluff and Kaplan recreation officials and both of them do not charge for use of their facilities for scheduled practices since these are public facilities. However, Moss Bluff does ask for a deposit just in case of damages to the facilities. We have spoken with the Eunice committee directors and are told that they have no one to watch the facility while teams would be on location. However our local police department does monitor our local public lake “City Lake” of Eunice. This public park and lake does have a gate and is locked by our local police department. So why is it that our city police can monitor and lock up the park and lake but can’t for our recreation facility for organize sports of our city’s youth?
The city of Eunice currently has old baseball/softball fields for public use, however the conditions of the fields possess numerous hazards to which we have expressed concerns.
No adequate lighting. When we asked for assistance for lighting we were told that what is there is what we get. No further lighting assistance will be done. Some fields don’t have any lighting and some only have five bulbs for an entire field. With this being said players and coaches are at risk of an injury and/or accident.
Hazardous debris throughout fields includes corroded iron, broken cement and glass, partially de-constructed fence and pipe throughout, etc. The city of Eunice is responsible for the deconstruction of the old field’s fences, bleachers, dugouts, etc. that created these hazards.
There also isn’t anywhere to use the restroom. There is no running water for kids to fill water coolers or drink from.
After speaking with the Louisiana Parks and Recreation Department we have been told that we should be allowed to use the Eunice Recreation Department. However this is not being done whatsoever.
We are in need of any kind of assistance to help our youth have a safe place to practice. Please see the attached signatures below that are in desperate need of support for the future of our kids of Eunice.
Thanks and Regards,
Brandon Rider
Ryan Fontenot
Bryan Darbonne