Ohio County Board of Education Narrowly Approves $610,000 for New Turf at Wheeling Island Stadium
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WHEELING - Wheeling Island Stadium - covered by flood water earlier this month - is now getting new artificial turf.
Ohio County Board of Education members Monday night approved the emergency purchase of turf from the Astroturf Company at a cost not to exceed $610,000. But the vote wasn't unanimous, ending up 3-2 in favor of the purchase.
Board president Andy Garber and members Pete Chacalos and Erik Schramm all voted in favor of making the purchase now so that the turf is installed in time for summer practice for sports teams when they start in June.
Members David Croft and Molly Aderholt voted "no," and urged the board to instead table the measure so the contract and its price could be more vetted prior to the board’s next meeting on May 13.
Aderholt suggested the board also reconsider another location for its stadium as it considers the expenditure of more than $600,000 on new turf.
Schramm moved "to terminate" discussion about a new stadium Monday night.
"We're not going to build a new stadium," he said. "We're not going to give up the most iconic stadium in the state of West Virginia and this community this year."
The bid for the turf was going to have to be accepted "whether we do it at this meeting or the next meeting," Schramm continued. He called discussion about a new stadium "pipe dreams for the future" that already took place when he previously was a board member in 2004.
"The bid is out. The people who are going to do the turf are going to do it, and the design is done," he said. "If you all want to have a conversation at some future time (do so) ... but as of tonight we're going to have to replace the turf for the people who are there. We have the money to do so."
The school district will use carryover funds to pay for the turf, according to Steven Bieniek, business manager for Ohio County Schools.
Assistant Superintendent Rick Jones began his presentation to the board by stating the turf, which was placed in 2015, is now nine years old and nearing the end of its 10-year expected life span.
"With the timing, we wanted to replace it because in a year or two we would just have to replace it anyway," he explained.
Jones added it would take at least 45 days to do the work once the materials are ordered.
Croft asked if the school district has received any other quotes on the turf project. Jones replied there was just one because of the project's emergency status, and that Astroturf was a participant in the state's cooperative agreements.
"If we don't do it very fast, we're not going to have a field to play on," Jones said.
Croft said there were other fields upon which athletes could practice this summer, and that he was concerned about not getting a competitive bid for the project
He asked Bieniek if the $610,000 price "was a fair amount" for the school district.
Bieniek said it was. He explained as Astroturf is part of the state cooperative agreement the school district was required to use that company if it were to utilize cooperative purchasing methods. The West Virginia Department of Education has already done the vetting of the company's price and practices, he added.
"In past years, we have talked about maybe moving the stadium somewhere where it doesn't flood. Maybe we should have that conversation now before we put $610,000 into the Island and it floods again in the year," Aderholt suggested. "It does cause me heartburn to put that much money into a place that could flood again this time next year."
She suggested "maybe saving up to put the stadium someplace else," and instead having sports teams utilize other fields in the area - such as those at West Liberty and Wheeling universities, and the 16th Street facility already used by Wheeling Central Catholic HIgh School.
"I think because of the quantity of teams that use Wheeling Island Stadium ... it is ideal," Garber said. "But because of the immediacy that the kids start to use that right away, to get that field in place, we need to move right away."
While the teams can practice elsewhere, the options for playing actual games are more limited and there would be additional cost involved, he added.
"I would like to see us explore the possibility of looking into a new location," Garber continued. "We keep battling that flooding issue at the stadium, and it's a shame."
Croft indicated he believed there would be enough time for contractors to place the field even if the board held on the motion, studied the issue more and voted at the May 13 meeting.
"I agree we need a new facility," Chacalos said. "That would be tremendous for our kids, and be somewhere that it doesn't flood. If it were at The Highlands, for example - if it flooded there somebody would have to build an ark."
He suggested many of the local facilities are being used, and transporting students to WLU for practices or games "wasn't feasible."
"I think we need to give our kids every advantage," Chacalos continued. "And if the feeling is the field would not be ready, then I say lets do it and hope for the best."