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Friends group donates $1.49 million to replace Doug White turf; Select Board accepts gift
Summary
The Friends of C.C. Plainfields presented the Town of Concord with a $1,490,390 gift to fund replacement of the Doug White turf at Concord-Carlisle High School; Select Board accepted the gift and discussed contracting schedule, contingency and possible return of unused funds.
The Select Board on May 5 accepted a $1,490,390 gift from the Friends of C.C. Plainfields to replace the Doug White turf field at Concord-Carlisle High School.
The gift covers the turf replacement bid the town opened recently; Town CFO Anthony Anzaldi said the bid opening produced seven bidders and two low bids that fell within the budget. ‘‘We had a very successful bid opening today. We had 7 bids that came in for Doug Whitefield,’’ Anzaldi said. He told the board staff expected to finalize a contractor next week and begin work in late May or early June, with an aggressive completion target between Aug. 1 and Sept. 1 to align with the school calendar.
Friends of C.C. Plainfields President Seth Vanderswaite presented the check and described the donation as the largest he had written: ‘‘I've never written a million dollars in the check,’’ Vanderswaite said. He said the friends had raised funds over many years and planned to ask that any unspent funds be returned to their organization for future turf replacement savings, or, if not possible, be placed into a town interest-bearing account earmarked for future field replacement.
Board members and staff discussed contracting and financing details. Anzaldi said the gift amount includes a contingency and that staff will check with town counsel about the appropriate mechanism to return any unused funds to the friends after project completion. He also said bidders were asked to include an optional shock pad underlayment to improve player safety, and that the bids' prices allowed the town to include that feature.
The Select Board moved and seconded a motion to accept the gift with gratitude and the condition that any unspent funds, if possible, be returned to the Friends of C.C. Plainfields. The motion passed by voice vote. The board and Friends representatives said they expected a contract award within weeks and construction to begin promptly so the field is ready for heavy fall use.
The board also noted related items for future oversight, including revisiting the master operating agreement with the school district and considering a fall review of the town’s agreements for field operations and future capital planning.
The acceptance vote and the pledge to seek a refund of any unspent funds conclude the Select Board’s formal action; staff will return to the board with contract documents and any required implementation details.
