"...artificial turf price turned out to be $205,178 over the outside contributions. That money had to be made up from the MCPS budget."

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

27. Chapter 8-59 under realignment notes a realignment of $40,000 from the Field Trip Fund to support artificial turf replacement costs. Please explain.

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.

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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.

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