A contractor, Stabilizer Solutions, has begun work on rehabilitating the ballfields in Golden Eagle Park after they were inundated by flood water in early October.

At its Nov. 6 regular session the Town Council approved a maximum of $103,136 in emergency authorization for Town Manage Grady Miller to issue the contract.

Miller said the funding will come out of Capital Improvement Funds from projects to be deferred in the coming year.

The town cannot spend money that has not been budgeted, so the funds will be transferred from budgeted projects that will be delayed.

The contract with Stabilizer Solutions will address the immediate clean-up of three of the four ballfields in the park that were inundated with mud and debris following the severe storm that dumped record rainfall on Oct. 2.

The contract includes the removal of the mud, disposal of the material, regrading of the ballfields, soil preparation and laser leveling.

“Due to the public demand for this park, including Fountain Hills Little League, senior softball and other community uses, it was important to move forward with the cleanup efforts as quickly as possible,” Miller said.

The council had a scheduled special session on Tuesday, Nov. 13, for Miller to provide a detailed plan including potential costs and timeline for additional improvements to wash areas upstream from the park with a goal of mitigating future flooding. The ballfields at the park are designed to retain flood water, but Miller said if erosion can be reduced upstream, any future flooding should have less mud and debris.