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Smithville board approves first turf invoice, withholds second over track surface safety concerns
Summary
The board voted to pay the first invoice from Mid America Turf for the new track turf but held payment on the second invoice after contractors, architects and board members disagreed about the material and compaction of the running surface and reported student injuries.
The Smithville R‑II Board of Education voted to approve payment of the first invoice from Mid America Turf for the school’s track turf installation and to withhold the second invoice because of ongoing concerns about the track surface material and safety.
At the meeting the district said the first invoice covers the turf installation itself and that there were no issues identified with that portion of the work. The board reviewed reports that the track surface material the contractor installed did not compact as expected and that the finish is soft and uneven in places. Several speakers said student athletes have injured ankles while using the track. A board member said, "Athletes are getting injured. It's not usable." (board member, public comment).
District staff and legal counsel described the contracting chain: DLR is the architect, Jay Dunn served as construction manager, and Mid America was the subcontractor that installed the track surface. A district official summarized the contracting view that "Mid America was just doing what was agreed upon," and that design and construction management questions remain about whether the right material and compaction specifications were provided.
After discussion the board’s legal counsel recommended a compromise approach to preserve leverage in the contractor discussions: approve payment of invoice one but retain funds and withhold payment on the second invoice. A board member moved to "approve invoice 1 and withhold payment on invoice 2." The motion was seconded and the board voted to approve it.
Why it matters: the action balances the district’s obligation to pay for work it accepts (the turf) while retaining legal and financial leverage to resolve outstanding design and performance disputes about the running surface. District staff said the withheld funds improve the district’s position in negotiations with the architect, construction manager and contractor.
Next steps: district legal staff and administrators will continue to negotiate with Mid America, DLR and the construction manager to define responsibility for correcting the track surface and any related remediation.
