The Board Agenda Packet Discussion Item 8.H references an “attached agreement…drawn up by our attorneys, [delineating] the Boosters’ Club financial obligations to District 113″.

No such agreement was attached to the packet linked.  Is it available online for review prior to the meeting?  If so, where?

That a portion of the total $1.1M amount is to be funded by the Booster’s Club is certainly nice, but I have to ask myself what NEEDS could the District’s portion ($637,307) fund at DHS?  HVAC issues?  Library Flooding issue?  Roofing issues? Ceiling tile replacements?

Could the Booster’s Club fund the repairs to the Pool @ DHS instead?

• Handling water run off from the turf.  It’s been proven to be dangerous to aquatic life.  Given that the field is within a wetland area, this is of concern.  How will the run off be dealt with?  What will that cost?
• Excessive heat – studies have proven that the turf is typically 30 degrees hotter than the surrounding air during the day.  This requires temperature monitoring and mitigation (typically via water being sprayed onto the surface for cooling).
• “Green Issues”: Creation of heat islands.  Artificial turf doesn’t produce Oxygen, but the production of it does increase carbon dioxide.
• MRSA Infections – MRSA doesn’t do well during bright sunlight or hot weather, but since the turf can’t be used during such times due to the dangers of excessive heat – that means it will be used after it’s cooled, in the dusk or night hours when it’s cooler.  MRSA does well in dark, cool periods.  What is the plan for preventing such infections and mitigating such dangers?  What will the cost of sanitizing the turf be?
• Rubber crumb infill replacement costs – what is the cost to replace the rubber crumb infill after 5-7 years due to compaction issues?
• Weeding/Pesticides – weeds can grow in the rubber crumb infill.  What’s the cost of weeding/pesticides to be used on the turf?  What are the dangers of using pesticides on such a surface?  How long must athletes remain off of the surface after the application of pesticides?
• Annual maintenance costs compared with current grass turf?  Including labor costs.
• Eventual disposal costs?  When the turf has to be removed at it’s end of life, what will that cost?

Regarding items 8.D. and 8.F. As long as the buildings have NEEDS which have a direct effect on academics (e.g.: HVAC, roofing), paving parking lots should be the lowest priority on the list – given the high cost of oil and how that factors into the cost of asphalt, communities are choosing to forgo asphalt paving and are finding compacted gravel to be less expensive and easier to maintain.

In particular, I see absolutely no reason for any additional paving to be done at Wolter’s Field.

If the most recent vote on the referendum said anything – it’s that the voters and taxpayers want the District to focus on it’s NEEDS instead of it’s wants.  Artificial turf is definitely a want and should not be funded at any level by the District – if the Booster’s Club considers it a “need”, then the Booster’s Club should fund the entire $1.1M cost, in-full, and up-front before construction begins.  Additionally, the Booster’s Club should also fund any and all increased costs of repair to the turf for its lifetime, and also fund the costs of removing the turf at its end of life.  The District taxpayers shouldn’t pay a cent for that want.

The Board should reject the recommendation to install artificial turf at DHS, and should reject any improvements or additions to parking lots at DHS, HPHS, or Wolter’s Field.  Instead, it should focus it’s efforts on funding some of the needs of the District out of the monies it was going to allocate to the aforementioned projects.