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Committee discusses creating RFP for football-field maintenance; no vote taken
Summary
Following a request from a community group, the committee discussed drafting an RFP to analyze costs for rebuilding or maintaining district athletic fields; staff and outside turf experts cautioned that a full rebuild could cost in the low six figures and that maintenance is labor-intensive.
The Chariho Regional School Committee held an extended discussion July 15 about whether to issue a request for proposals (RFP) to obtain costs and proposals for football-field maintenance and potential rebuilding.
The discussion was prompted by a community request related to use of district fields by a youth organization. Facilities staff and a turf-management consultant in the audience said the field inventory indicates substantial deferred maintenance and that a full renovation could cost in the neighborhood of $250,000 or more, depending on scope. Consultant and audience member Steve Moffett told the committee an RFP framed as a renovation/rebuild would likely produce proposals for a full new field rather than a simple maintenance contract and that significant ongoing labor and budget would be required to maintain high-quality playing surfaces.
Staff said many municipal departments historically maintained school fields, and variations in municipal capacity and budgets make it difficult for the district to collect comparable pricing without directly requesting input from those municipalities; staff recommended coordinating with town public works departments or considering an RFP that explicitly defines maintenance scope and post-installation care. Committee members urged a measured approach that accounts for district priorities, costs and student-safety concerns.
No formal motion was made; the committee agreed to continue discussion in future meetings and to gather further information, including municipal maintenance budgets and proposals.
