MOORPARK : Council Allocates $1 Million for Parks

The Moorpark City Council has agreed to spend more than $1 million to make improvements at two city parks.

The council on Wednesday approved a $952,000 contract to complete two new baseball diamonds and improvements at Poindexter Park, and another contract for $124,000 for new restrooms at Arroyo Vista Community Park.

Both of the contracts were awarded to Terra-Cal Construction of Baldwin Park despite objections from an El Monte-based organization that said the company has a history of wage complaints filed against it. Seven companies submitted bids for the project, with Terra-Cal being the low bidder.

Alex Mireles, a field investigator for a nonprofit group called the Center for Contract Compliance, said Terra-Cal did not comply with government contract rules and pay all of its employees prevailing wages as stipulated in the rules.

Although Mireles recommended the city reject Terra-Cal’s bid in favor of the next-lowest bidder, the City Council awarded the contract to the company, citing several positive recommendations the company received for similar work elsewhere in the state.

Wednesday’s public hearing on the contract also focused briefly on a conflict between city planners and the Moorpark Little League.

The city and the local Little League had agreed to work together on the project last year, with Little League officials pledging to build a $50,000 snack bar near the baseball fields at Poindexter Park. But league officials on Wednesday balked at a provision in the contract requiring them to spend another $5,000 to install utilities. The City Council went ahead with the contract, but agreed to iron out the issue with Little League officials by Dec. 6.

Construction at Poindexter Park will not be completed by opening day of the Moorpark Little League season on April 5, but city officials hope the work will be done by mid-May.