The Brookhaven Board of Aldermen discussed providing the Brookhaven Recreation Department with an increased budget to better support the Dr. A.L Lott Sportsplex for the new fiscal year at a work session Tuesday.

City clerk Mike Jinks presented the board with the recreation department’s requested budget, which outlined a zero percent increase from last year’s budget of $836,520.

Ward 2 Aldermen Terry Bates asked that the board look at increasing the amount of money the sportsplex will receive in the new budget.

Bates explained that he volunteered with the Dr. A.L Lott Sportsplex and baseball league this year, and suggested that the city take over the league.

“I would like for the city to take that back over,” Bates said. “We need to, because it’s suffering. Twenty-seven years ago when I started, we had someone taking care of everything over there. Now we don’t do anything.”

According to Bates, the city previously provided the facility and league with equipment and uniforms, and employed someone to manage it. He said he would like all of that to happen again, at the expense of the city.

Ward 5 Aldermen David Phillips replied that the Lott league is a self-run organization, which uses the facility.

“The recreation department spends about $30,000 maintaining that facility,” Phillips said. “Now, is that enough? I don’t know, but your statement that they don’t do anything, well, they are.”

The sportsplex is home to two lighted baseball fields, a concession stand, restrooms and a lighted basketball court, according to the Brookhaven Recreation Department’s website.

Lott director Roy Smith helped form the current league in 2010 because he was concerned with violence and vandalism among children in the community, he said. The league gives them a positive outlet during the summer months when they’re out of school, he has said.

Teams include players as young as 4 years old and as old as 16. The league includes 25 teams, with more than 200 children from Brookhaven participating as well as 120 children from outside the city limits who are invited to participate because their communities don’t have leagues of their own.

Mayor Joe Cox ended the conversation stating that each alderman should take Bates’ suggestion under advisement, and that the board would further discuss the budget revision at the next meeting.

In other board business:

• A representative from Star Service, Inc. presented the board with an expansive report on each city buildings’ air conditioning and heating system, along with a preventative contract. The contract outlined a preventative maintenance system. The company representative is expected to speak at the next aldermen meeting to outline contract prices.

• Jinks reported that the board will see a 15 percent decrease in the city’s Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance costs for the next year. The board will take action on the change at the next aldermen meeting.

• Jinks also reported that the city will see a $86.20 a month increase for the whole city in the Lincoln Life Insurance policy. The board will also take action on the increase at the next meeting.