Community urges acceptance of Mamba Mama donation for Mir softball field as experts and neighbors debate turf safety and sustainability

Several speakers supported accepting a donation from the Mamba Mama Foundation to renovate the Mir High softball field, describing current safety hazards and the field’s role as a community hub for hundreds of families.

Robert Milton and other user‑group leaders said gopher holes and uneven turf have caused injuries and limited program growth. “We support over 700 families per year and have become a softball pipeline to our high schools,” Milton said, asking the board to approve the donation and improvements.

Eric Jennings, a design‑builder participating in the project, told trustees the proposed turf uses a modern, no‑infill polyethylene product that the company markets as fully recyclable and without the older crumb‑rubber or PAS infill that prompted earlier environmental concerns. He and union representatives described third‑party testing and field‑engineering measures intended to address drainage and heat‑mitigation concerns.

An environmental scientist, Dr. Mimi Narte, urged trustees to evaluate full life‑cycle impacts — water use, landfill and durability — but also warned that denying modern turf solutions could limit safe play opportunities in underresourced communities. “Real sustainability decisions are going to include water use, land constraints, infrastructure durability, and public health consequences of reduced physical activity,” she said.

Trustees heard both technical responses from the donor’s team and neighborhood concerns; staff said they would accept supporting materials from the vendor and circulate technical documentation. The board did not identify legal barriers to accepting the donation and discussed next steps for DSA and procurement if the gift is accepted.