A recent incident involving an individual selling food and drinks out of a cooler during a soccer tournament played on Sundays at Freeman Field Recreation Area sparked a lengthy discussion during a meeting of the Seymour Parks & Recreation Department board.

Parks Director Chad Keithley told board members during their meeting Monday at city hall, that he recently received information about some activity occurring during a Latino Soccer Club game on a Sunday.

Keithley said he took it upon himself to investigate the report and using some binoculars to observe the field he thought he saw “some things [he] didn’t approve of.”

At the park, Keithley reported finding food and drinks being sold by individuals out of a cooler.

He said when he approached to tell them they were not allowed to sell at the park, his warning became a call to shut down the tournament.

Keithley said police also were called to help vacate the popular and heavily used park on the far south side of the city.

After examining the coolers, Keithley told the board he saw alcohol and the unsafe storing of food that was being sold at the park.

“The individuals … that were selling the food were not with the tournament director,” he said.

Keithley said while shutting down the tournament, everyone was respectful and there was no issues with stopping the game.

“There was probably 300 to 400 people out there at one time,” he said. “Within 15 minutes, they left the premises.”

Since the incident, the Latino Soccer League has been suspended from playing tournaments at the park.

Keithley said he and officials with the Jackson County Health Department confiscated all cooking materials, including grills, from these individuals involved in the incident. After talking to the city attorney, it was decided to return those supplies, although Keithley said they were not required to do so.

He said there is now a question of if the Latino Soccer League should be allowed to continue playing tournaments at the park.

Keithley said half of the 24 tournaments scheduled by the league for the year have already been paid.

The league director sent a letter to the parks and recreation board as an apology, outlining examples of what he would like to do to make up for what happened and to do better, in hopes of being able to carry out their tournaments.

Keithley said the league director took the time to bring in folders with the letters and teams listed out for all the board members. The league has been together since 2019 and now has 20 teams that play every Sunday with team members coming from Seymour, Columbus, North Vernon, Brownstown, Edinburgh and Austin.

Some of the points in his letter included placing signage to clearly specify no food and drink sales as well as no alcohol being consumed; having a law enforcement officer that the league would pay for to insure people abide by the rules and that if they see any rules being broken, they will report it to the correct officials.

Another plan in process by the league is making identification badges for league members in the case of being confronted by police, they would be able to show their badge to prove that they are with the league.

When Keithley said he didn’t think the league director fully understood his right to control the soccer field and everything involved within it, board member Kendra Zumhingst spoke up with concerns she had as someone who has hosted many events at city facilities over the years.

“If somebody pops up at the Oktoberfest to sell something and they’re not allowed to be there, I don’t have that authority …” said Zumhingst, who also is a member of the Oktoberfest board. ”I think expecting him to be able to be the enforcer is out of bounds of what I would expect of a league organizer.”

There was also debate about how to read the letter with board member Bethany Rust stating that it sounds like the league director is “sorry people took issue with it,” saying that she guesses people know it was happening and should know it is against the rules.

As the conversation progressed, it was unveiled every person involved in leading the 20 teams has not signed off on agreeing to the rules and expectations besides the league director, so the required information and rules that these leaders should have, may not have ever been clearly stated to them.

Rust’s original opinion on the matter shifted with the rise of uncertainty on who knows what.

“We can’t enforce any rules if we don’t make the rules known,” Rust said.

The board agreed they should have signs prohibiting alcohol in parks that are missing such signs and have ways for leaders in the leagues to read and sign off on rules to set the standard for everyone.

Board members passed a motioned to let the Latino Soccer League continue its tournament for the rest of the established season.

Keithley agreed to speak with the league director and find a way to ensure everyone using the field is signing off on rules.

The next park board meeting is set for 4 p.m. July 8 at city hall.