After a merger last year of Little League and Cal Ripken baseball and softball programs, those parent-run organizations have decided to call it quits.

The Polk County Recreation Department has decided to keep the programs alive this year, with the department needing to make a current part-time position full-time in order to quickly begin a league.

The Polk County Board of Commissioners met Monday, Feb. 23 and heard from recreation director Jerry Stensland.

Stensland said last year the Little League/Cal Ripken merged program served approximately 220 youth.

Polk recreation heard the current program was having challenges so the recreation board offered to help the program this year with services such as registration and phone calls, according to Stensland.

Polk Recreation thought initially this year would be a partnership and the same group would still run Little League but a few days later, Stensland said, they changed their minds and decided they would not run baseball and softball this year.

“Bottom line is we can let the whole season go and come back next year and try a different model or we can try to salvage the season and put something together,” Stensland told commissioners. “I think we need to at least try.”

Stensland said he was preparing in the upcoming budget to run baseball/softball next year and buy the rec department time by offering to help Little League this year.

Stensland suggested the recreation department’s league be independent and not tied to Little League or any other program. He said being independent would give Polk’s league flexibility to play other leagues later in the season.

Stensland said what he needs is more staff time, mostly for the paperwork, handling money and handling phone calls upfront.

“The nice thing is I don’t need any money tonight to do that,” Stensland said.

He said he hasn’t filled a position so he has the funding to make a part-time position full-time.

Commissioner chair Tom Pack asked that the full-time position be contingent on enough children signing up for the league.

Stensland said he can justify the position in other ways for the full year even if there’s not enough sign-ups for a league.

Pack said if the rec department is going to use the position for something other than baseball/softball then Stensland should present that for the upcoming budget.

“I don’t want to give you a position mid-year without a good reason and baseball/softball is a good reason,” Pack told Stensland.

Commissioners expressed concern over the funding it will take to create a full-time position because of having to provide benefits for full-time.

County manager Marche Pittman said the rec department should figure out a way to work other part-time employees until the county decides if there’s enough sign-ups to have a league.

Commissioner Michael Gage motioned to make the position full-time contingent on enough sign-ups for the county to have its own league.

“Baseball/softball is important to this community,” Gage said. “I think it’s going to keep these kids involved, off the streets. We definitely want to keep these kids busy.”

Commissioner Ray Gasperson asked how Stensland is going to determine how many sign-ups are enough for Polk to have its own league.

Stensland said he can gauge it based on last year’s numbers.

Fees were also discussed.

Stensland said he was hoping to run the program with a registration fee of $75 but after talking to people involved in last year’s program that won’t pay all the necessary costs. Stensland said if the county charged $90 per child it should be just enough to pay for uniforms, referees and equipment. Last year Little League charged $50, Stensland said, so the county will likely lose some sign-ups because of the higher cost.

Commissioners unanimously approved making the part-time position full-time contingent on enough sign-ups for the county to have its own league.