There's little consensus around the Saugeen Shores council table about how to solve its shortage of ball diamonds.
Council narrowly defeated a motion to spend $45,000 to rehabilitate the number two diamond at Jubilee Park in Southampton, which has been out of use for about 15 years.
Councillor Mike Myatt instead introduced a motion to direct staff to also seek out pricing for a new diamond at Biener Park in Port Elgin, which currently has two lit diamonds.
Myatt says he supports helping out the municipality's baseball organizations, who are struggling to find diamond space, but council needs to investigate its options.
"I support doing something, it's just a matter of what that something is and I think we've given staff direction tonight to go ahead and get pricing to refurbish Jubilee Park, but also get pricing for an additional diamond at Biener [Park] with lights," says Myatt.
The community has more than 1,200 registered baseball users combined between minor baseball and the men's and women's slo-pitch leagues, with a total of four lit diamonds and two unlit diamonds.
Councillor Don Matheson believes once all the pricing options are in, council will end up going ahead with re-opening the Jubilee number two diamond, which is proposed to be used by lower age levels of minor ball and women's slo-pitch.
"Once we see that, I believe that in the short term, fixing that back diamond, having minor ball schedule some games in Southampton at that diamond and Jubilee [number one] will take some pressure off the system," says Matheson. "By bringing them over there, that will allow the bigger kids more big diamond time."
Saugeen Shores council is expected to revisit its ball diamonds during budget talks in December.