MCPS' no bid turf company in the news, again

Superintendent Jerry Weast bypassed Maryland State procurement laws and selected an artificial turf product for MCPS schools without a Request for Proposal and without taking competitive bids from a variety of companies. Here is another story, this time from Texas, involving the same company that Superintendent Weast has selected as the sole source provider of artificial turf in Montgomery County Public Schools.

The Galveston County Daily News Officials: Surface at stadium should be replaced

School district officials claim the artificial turf at Friendswood’s high school football stadium is coming apart at the seams — and want the contractor to replace it.

Hanks said the district’s attorneys are corresponding with Atlas Track, the company the district hired to replace the turf three years ago. Atlas Track has an agreement with FieldTurf Tarkett to install their product only.

Three years ago, the district spent a little more than $1 million to replace the turf and track at Henry Winston Memorial Stadium, 702 Greenbriar. But the turf was never properly installed, resulting in more than 300 repairs in the past three years, Athletic Director Steve Van Meter said.

Canada-based FieldTurf Tarkett, which has manufactured turf for more than 40 universities, dozens of National Football League teams and three Major League Baseball teams, hired Dallas-based RS Global to install the turf at the Friendswood stadium in summer 2006, Van Meter said.

FieldTurf Tarkett representatives declined to comment about the district’s complaints. Officials with RS Global could not be reached for comment Tuesday...

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