F and F committee hears plan to replace artificial turf at eight district fields

The F and F committee met Nov. 17 at the Stevenson Administration Building in Columbia and heard a presentation from Miss Kmetz outlining a staggered plan to replace artificial turf at eight district stadiums and practice fields from 2026 through 2033. The proposal lists a replacement order, inspection and maintenance requirements, high-level cost estimates and a plan to solicit projects through an RFP process.

Kmetz said the district began installing artificial turf in 2015–2016 and completed fields at Eau Claire, Lower Richland, AC Flora, Columbia practice fields, Kenan Stadium, Bolden, Memorial and Dreyer through 2019. She noted the original installations had manufacturer warranties "to remain free from defects and material workmanship for 8 years, from the substantial completion date," and the district is now approaching many of those eight-year warranty cycles.

To prioritize replacements, Kmetz told the committee the district will consider field usage (number of teams and frequency of play), visible wear on fibers, and the condition of subsurface systems identified during inspections. She said the proposed replacement order is: AC Flora in 2026; Lower Richland Stadium in 2027; W.J. Kenan in 2028; Memorial Stadium in 2029; Columbia in 2030; Eau Claire in 2031; Bolden Stadium in 2032; and Dreyer Practice Field in 2033.

On the replacement process, Kmetz described removing old turf and infill, inspecting and repairing the base and pad (with attention to concussion-protocol and percussive testing), and installing new fiber and fill. She said installation typically takes about "four to six weeks" and that "they would be ready to use and we would be on the field at the end of that time." The presenter added the existing pad would generally remain while the stone base would be repaired where necessary.

Kmetz provided high-level cost guidance: replacement typically runs about $7–$10 per square foot depending on the scope of base repairs. With fields in the district ranging roughly from 70,000 to 80,000 square feet, that equates to approximately $600,000–$800,000 per field. She said individual projects would be solicited through the RFP process to secure competitive bids.

The presenter also reviewed ongoing maintenance: district facilities perform grooming every 14–21 days (visual inspection, seam work, brushing and magnet sweeping for metal), and a third-party professional grooming and inspection occurs twice yearly (July and January). The presenter identified Stafford Turf as the firm currently performing those inspections on the district’s fields.

In a brief question-and-answer period, Kmetz confirmed fields would be available for use after the four-to-six-week installation period and said day-to-day grooming would typically be handled by facility services unless grooming services were included in a contractor's scope.

The committee did not take any funding or procurement approvals during the meeting. It voted to adopt the meeting agenda at the start and later voted to adjourn; no vote on the replacement or financing plan occurred. The next procedural steps described by the presenter are preparing solicitations and pursuing RFPs for individual field replacements.