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Board weighs eliminating mezzanine in athletic building to cut costs and improve safety
Summary
Board discussion centered on whether to eliminate a proposed mezzanine for mat storage in the new athletic building and instead use motorized mat lifts and larger reversible mats to reduce handling risk and overall project costs; a special meeting was scheduled to approve related bids.
The superintendent led a technical discussion about mat storage and handling for the new athletic building, laying out two main options and the trade-offs.
One design kept a suspended mezzanine that would store multiple smaller "flex" mats stacked and require a hoisting system; the other would eliminate the mezzanine, substitute two motorized mat lifts (roughly $20,000 to $25,000 each) and install four large reversible "classic" mats (the classic mats were noted as about $17,000 more than flex mats but are reversible and have longer useful life).
The superintendent explained safety and operational differences: mezzanine storage would require repeated lifting and manual handling of many smaller mats, while motorized lifts would allow staff to raise large mats into ceiling mounts with a keyed control, reducing repeated manual handling and exposure to fall risk on a narrow platform. He also noted temperature-control concerns for vinyl and elastic gear in storage and suggested a mini-split for the football storage area.
Board members discussed placement of lifts, clearance beneath suspended mats, and whether two lifts (one per end) or the mezzanine made more sense for circulation and summer use (e.g., camps). The superintendent said bids for the athletic building and mats would be available the following week and recommended a special meeting to consider and approve the award; the board agreed to meet Monday at 7:00 a.m. to act on those bids and the mat lifter order.
The superintendent also described a community fundraising plan to offset mat costs, including a donor recognition wall with names at contribution levels.
No final change to the building plan was recorded in the meeting; the board scheduled a special meeting to take formal action on the bid(s) and mat procurement.
