McMullen Group to Seek Extension

Despite the Camarillo City Council’s 4-1 rejection of a proposal to fund the construction of a minor league baseball stadium, promoters Ken McMullen and Jim Biby said Thursday they intend to pursue their plans, citing a “misunderstanding” as the reason for the council’s decision.

McMullen, Biby and a third partner, Jim Colborn, said they will ask for an extension on their option to purchase the Class A minor league baseball franchise based in Lodi.

The trio had planned to move the team to Ventura County for the 1986 season if they were assured by May 1 than an existing field would be upgraded or a new one constructed to seat at least 3,000 spectators.

After Wednesday’s council vote, McMullen had said his group would not seek a extension of its option.

“We were very disappointed last night, but we talked it over and agreed to ask for an extension,” said Biby, a retired mortician. “We will go back to the cities and discuss the specifics of the information they need. . . . We don’t want a shadow over this thing.”

Council members said they voted against providing $750,000 to help build a stadium at Freedom Park in Camarillo because they were not given enough information to make a decision.

“It was a nebulous type of presentation,” said Councilman F. B. Esty, who voted against the proposal. “They need to come in with a master plan with specifics on things like handling traffic, security, roads, sewers. They had none of that. We can’t authorize the expenditure of half a million dollars without information like that.”

Biby said he and his partners provided the council with all the data it had requested.

“It came down to a misunderstanding,” Biby said. “We provided the city council with all the information they said they needed to make a decision. . . . I am not being critical of anyone. I honestly think it was a case of miscommunication.”

On Monday, the board of directors of the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District, which oversees

all park and recreation matters in Ventura County, approved a plan to build a stadium and to provide a maximum of $250,000 for its construction--provided that Camarillo taxpayers come up with the balance of the money.

“We gave the parks and recreation people the same information as the cities,” Biby said, “and they approved the project. We need to get the specifics. If they want financial statements, background on us, proposed budgets, proposed expenditures, proposed gross profits, anything--we’ll give it to them.”

The city of Oxnard and the Ventura County Community College District also are interested in having the franchise move to the area, possibly to Oxnard College. McMullen, a former major leaguer, and his partners will meet with Oxnard city officials April 30.

Esty said he believed the Camarillo City Council still is receptive to the idea and might support funding for the project if given more specific information.