Board approves AstroTurf purchase for West Nassau; warranty, lifespan and drainage raise questions
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Summary
The board approved a cooperative purchase for AstroTurf at West Nassau High School; the vendor and board members discussed warranty length, lifespan estimates, drainage warranty limits, maintenance obligations and differences that raised the project's cost compared with recent Duval County installs.
The board approved a cooperative purchase contract with AstroTurf Corporation to install synthetic turf at West Nassau High School and spent substantial time questioning warranty, lifespan, drainage coverage and cost comparisons.
During discussion AstroTurf representative Mister Allen said the standard warranty included with the selected product is eight years and can be extended to 10 years if the district agrees to an annual maintenance program. He told the board the product’s typical service life is about 12–14 years depending on maintenance. Allen said drainage workmanship is warrantied for one year; workmanship and materials for the turf itself are covered under the 8‑year material/workmanship warranty (extendable to 10 years with maintenance). He said typical warranty response time for a vendor crew or a local representative would be within 48 hours for a warranty issue requiring on-site attention.
Board members pressed on replacement costs and aftermarket maintenance. Allen estimated that replacement in a decade would be “a little bit less than half” the original installation cost, and said exact timing and cost depend on district maintenance and field use. He also said certain exclusions apply: after the first year drainage pipe failures would be a district responsibility, and consistent maintenance logs are required to substantiate warranty claims.
A board member asked why the West Nassau quote was higher than recent Duval County fields (Duval projects the vendor cited ranged from about $821,000 to $1.1 million). Allen said differences in scope explained part of the variance: Duval County installations standardize concrete work in the d‑zones and omit end‑zone lettering and some striping; West Nassau’s scope includes football and soccer configuration plus end‑zone lettering and additional field prep, which increase cost.
Several board members asked who decides how millage/capital funds are allocated across schools for athletic projects. District staffer Mister Raser said schools and administrators had input through an original four‑year plan and a millage oversight committee; he described equipment allotments to schools and said Yulee High School was selected earlier because it was 'shovel-ready' and required no additional infrastructure work.
The board approved the cooperative purchase by voice vote. Staff were directed to finalize cooperative purchase documentation and maintenance/warranty agreements before installation.
