WHEREAS,
The cost of the project is approximately $1.3
million
Public Comment on
Amendment to the FY15-20 Capital Improvements Program and
Supplemental Appropriation #1-S15-CMCPS-l to the FY15 Capital Budget
Montgomery County Public Schools
Building Modifications and Program Improvements (No. 076506),
$1,300,000
Winston Churchill High School Artificial Turf
July 22, 2014
The
Montgomery County Council has been in this position before and your
last decision on a similar Montgomery County Board of Education
proposal cost taxpayers $205,178.
The Board of Education has made it very clear in their proposal to
install artificial turf at Churchill High School that if the outside
funding is not sufficient the Board of Education will make up the
difference from the MCPS budget.
That
is exactly the same scenario as with the Wootton High School
artificial turf deal. The Board of Education told you the field
would be paid for from outside funds. However, as usual, the Board
of Education does not put out a Request for Proposal or take bids
when they install an artificial turf football field. These
construction projects are not bid out and the sole source supplier,
FieldTurf, can set any price they desire for these projects. The
Wootton High School artificial turf price turned out to be $205,178
over the outside contributions.
That money had to be made up from the MCPS budget.
The
proposal before you today is the same as the Wootton High School
proposal. The Board of Education says the project will cost
“approximately” $1.3 million. If the project goes over $1.3
million where will the extra funds come from? Will taxpayers once
again be on the hook for the surprise increase in cost on a project
that was presented as only using outside funding? The memo from
Superintendent Starr to the Board of Education once again says that
MCPS will make up any difference in cost.
If the project cost exceeds the $1.3 million contribution amount, the
shortfall may be met through the funds collected for community use
and the savings accumulated each year via not having to maintain the
current grass field---such as grass cutting, fertilizing,
overseeding, and irrigating expenses (Page 1 of Superintendent Joshua
Starr's memo to BOE. Circle 4 in today's packet.)
The
assertion that any surprise increase in cost can be made up from
community use is not based on known facts. MCPS is estimating that
the fees from community use of the existing 6 artificial turf fields
will only bring in $40,000 in the next year. At that rate it is
going to take the next 5 years to pay off the Wootton High School
debt. Any Churchill High School debt wouldn't be paid back from
these fees until after 2019.
Please
note that the Churchill lease is for 10 years. That is beyond the
useful life of an artificial turf field. The Walter Johnson High
School field is already disintegrating after only 5 years and the
Richard Montgomery High School field is fading after only 6 years. 19
tons of crumb rubber washed off the Richard Montgomery High School
artificial turf field in the first 2 years and had to be replaced.
The annual maintenance cost of MCPS artificial turf fields is not
known.
Fun
fact: Each crumb rubber artificial turf field requires 120 tons of
crumb rubber. The 6 current MCPS artificial turf fields require a
total of 720 tons of crumb rubber to remain playable. That means
that MCPS and the Montgomery County government have dumped
approximately140,000
shredded used tires onto sports fields in the county.
Janis Zink Sartucci
____________________________________
MCPS
Board of Education FY 2014 Budget Questions and Answers
Budget
page reference:
8-59
The
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) standard for high school
stadium fields is a natural grass surface with an irrigation system.
Stadium fields require a high level of maintenance that includes
regular cycles of mowing, watering, fertilization, and aeration to
maintain the fields in acceptable condition for various high school
athletic events. Unfortunately, the majority of high schools and
their Booster Clubs cannot make the financial commitment that is
necessary to maintain a natural grass field in excellent playing
condition. Therefore, there is a large disparity in the condition of
stadium fields across the county.
The
Department of Facilities Management (DFM) and the Interscholastic
Athletics Unit staff have evaluated the use of artificial turf for
MCPS high school stadium fields. Artificial turf provides a safe and
durable surface for various athletic events and requires very little
maintenance. The installation of artificial turf fields will
eliminate the disparity in the condition of stadium fields among high
schools across the county. The life expectancy of artificial turf
fields is approximately ten years. The ten-year life-cycle cost to
install artificial turf is approximately the same as the ten-year
life-cycle cost to install and properly maintain a natural grass
field.
A
turf reserve fund has been created to build up funds necessary to
cover future replacement of artificial turf after ten years.
The source of funding for this reserve fund is a portion of the
Interagency Coordinating Board (ICB) fees that are charged for the
rental of these turf fields, and the funds budgeted in the
interscholastic athletics account that will no longer be needed to
maintain the natural turf fields.
During
development of the FY 2014 budget, DFM estimated that annual payments
of approximately $40,000 will be received from the ICB for the turf
reserve fund.
Since there was excess appropriation available in the Field Trip
Fund, appropriation was moved from the Field Trip Fund to the Real
Estate Management Fund to cover the $40,000 that will be received
from the ICB in FY 2014.
----------------------------------------------------------------
ACTION
6.2.4
Office of the Superintendent of Schools
MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Rockville, Maryland
June 24, 2013
MEMORANDUM
To: Members of the Board of Education
From: Joshua P. Starr, Superintendent of Schools
Subject: Award of Contract—Thomas S. Wootton High School Artificial
Turf Project
WHEREAS, On November 13, 2012, the Montgomery County Board of
Education approved the
$200,000 contribution from the Thomas S. Wootton High School Booster
Club and the $900,000
contribution from the Bethesda Soccer Club, in accordance with Policy
CNE, Facility
Improvements That Are Not Funded With Montgomery County Revenues, for
the artificial turf
installation on the stadium field at Thomas S. Wootton High School;
and
WHEREAS, On February 5, 2013, the Montgomery County Council approved
a supplemental
appropriation for the sum of $1.1 million in contribution funds; and
WHEREAS, Montgomery County Public Schools is a member of The Keystone
Purchasing
Network, part of the Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies,
which maintains a bid
with FieldTurf USA Inc. for the installation of artificial turf
fields; and
WHEREAS, Staff in the Department of Facilities Management solicited a
proposal from
FieldTurf USA, Inc. based on the Association of Educational
Purchasing Agencies bid; and
WHEREAS, FieldTurf USA, Inc. submitted a proposal in the amount of
$1,305,178 for the
installation of artificial turf and associated site work at Thomas S.
Wootton High School; and
WHEREAS, Staff in the Department of Facilities Management has
reviewed the proposal and
finds the cost reasonable for the scope of work; andMembers of the
Board of Education 2 June 24, 2013
WHEREAS,
The proposed cost exceeds the $1.1 million contribution amount by
$205,178. The
November 13, 2012, Board action states that if the project exceeds
the $1.1 million contribution
amount, the shortfall can be paid through funds collected for
community use and the savings
accumulated each year from not having to maintain the current grass
field; and
WHEREAS, FieldTurf USA, Inc. has completed similar work successfully
for Montgomery
County Public Schools; now therefore be it
Resolved, That a contract in the amount of $1,305,178 be awarded to
FieldTurf USA, Inc. for the
artificial turf installation at Thomas S. Wootton High School stadium
field, contingent upon
receipt of the contributions from the Thomas S. Wootton High School
Booster Club and the
Bethesda Soccer Club.
JPS:LAB:JS:tgm
