Board approves moving forward with Iota High turf design; engineer says bid-ready work will take 4–6 weeks

The board voted to advance design and bidding for turf at Iota High School’s baseball and softball fields after a presentation from Jesse Simpson of Simpson Sports Engineering.

Simpson, who identified himself as the owner of Simpson Sports Engineering, told the board the firm would act as the owner’s representative: “So we would need about 4 to 6 weeks on the engineering piece to where we could advertise,” he said, adding that public bid advertising typically runs for 28 days and requires three consecutive weeks in the notice. He also said his firm would prepare site elevations, drainage plans, specifications and serve as construction manager during the project.

Board members questioned timing around athletic seasons and the mandatory pre-bid meeting. Simpson said the firm can schedule a mandatory pre-bid either immediately after the third week of advertising or between the second and third weeks, and that the district can choose timing to avoid missing spring games.

Discussion touched on the limited number of Louisiana-based turf installers; Simpson estimated three to four local companies typically respond to pre-bids and listed major turf manufacturers active in the state. He also said the firm can expedite work but must ensure the technical specs reflect the district’s product choices.

The board approved a motion to advertise and seek bids for the turf work and sent the recommendation from the budget/finance committee to the full board for approval.

The next step is for staff to finalize bid specifications and a timeline; the posting and mandatory public-advertising schedule will follow the engineering timeline Simpson described.