The Ad Hoc field use committee will meet again Monday. (I'm a member of this committee which hasn't met since August) The agenda can be found here.
On Monday the committee will receive an update on field usage at the various sites and the costs associated. The basic problem is that we have too many events scheduled at the stadium for the grass turf to withstand. This often results in a less then ideal playing surface for many events, at times events have to be cancelled or moved because of the condition of the field.
The committee is investigating alternatives, including a proposal to install artificial turf at the stadium. Other alternatives include moving events to other sites around the district, such as Ahuska park where many soccer games are played on the facility provided by the City of Monona.
Although artificial turf would provide a reliable playing surface able to stand up to continual all weather use, funding such an installation would be a challenge.
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12 comments:
I just paid my tax bill. There is no way in the world I would vote for a referendum for artificial field turf, especially when the district has me paying for the heat bills at an empty school.
Peter,
We had an event that was scheduled to take place at Winnequah school cancelled "due to water damage resulting from a leaking roof"
Can you explain how we can have a leaking roof that damaged the gym floor that extensively after we just spent all of that referendum money to "renovate" the school?
Did we not adequately assess the status of the roofing? Mechanicals? Windows? I am very disappointed to learn that these very important details seem to have been overlooked. Does not seem appropriate to have ignored these items in light of the scale of the project.
Your thoughts?
According to Mark the water in the gym was the result of a separation in the roof that occurred do to the rain & freeze cycle we had in December. The leak occurred over the holidays so it wasn't noticed for several days resulting in damage to the floor.
I don't think last year's renovation included the gym or that part of the building envelope. Roofs leak from time to time and eventually need to be replaced, but I don't believe the Winnequah roof is in need of replacement at this time.
The cost of the repairs are being covered by our insurance, however the gym is unavailable until the repairs are complete.
Roofs leak from time to time? Peter, please. Anyone who works in construction KNOWS that this is NOT the case! Do I need to come speak at the School Board meeting to make this entirely clear?? I really don't think that you want that to happen.
I would hope that the appropriate parties are reading this blog and then acting appropriately. Because, honestly, there is NO excuse for a leaky roof, particularly when the constituency just spent boatloads of dollars on renovations.
Really, Peter, do you think that we are this naive? That is indeed a poor assumption on your part. We have been hoping all along, that with the approval of this fantastic Cottage Grove Middle School, that our competing Winnequah Middle School would be appropriately renovated to provide adequate competitive educational opportunities to our Monona students of equal age.
Really, what you need to admit, is that the School Board, and their Construction advisor, made some really poor decisions.
It seems to me that the Board decided to make renovations to Winnequah that looked really really pretty to the average parent and teacher. Some paint, some cubbies, some lockers, maybe some bathrooms, and of course an entrance or two and some playgrounds.
But, how about the REALLY important stuff, like the bazillion year old roof and the equally as old mechanicals?
I am hearing rumors of classrooms without heat, Peter! Is this true?
The leaky roof is bad enough, I would hope that it does not extend beyond this..........however, when people in the community are getting emails from the Recreation department about leaky roofs........hmmmm.....it makes those of us who supported this referendum really skeptical......really, we supported something that really wasn't what you told us it would be?
Because, honestly, you told us that Winnequah would be to Monona everything that GDMS would be to Cottage Grove. What the hell happened? We can't even hold basketball practice or Boy Scouts at Winnequah for God's Sake!
All I want to know is this - WHERE IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY??
Please publish my request in the Herald Independent with your response to the issues that have arisen. At this point, only that can relieve the fears that this latest incident have created among your constituents.
Thank you.
A dare-this is way cool-
I am thinking that a double-dog dare might do it, but single is not going to work.
I don't understand the complaint regarding the Winequah leak.
Roofs DO leak from time to time, be it from weather (freeze/thaw, hail, high wind), animals and ocassionally plant growth. The whole thing doesn't need to be replaced when it is a small section that failed.
To be that angry at the board over an 'act of nature' is misplacing a lot of energy that can improve the district.
If you are in the construction industry, look over the schools and tell the board what needs work. Odds are you know better then the non-construction members of the board.
In the immortal words fo Sgt. Hulka, "Settle down, Francis!"
I think the Winnequah roof has been replaced within the last ten years or so. As for the mechanical, pretty sure those have been replaced too. Before the GD referendum, there was a small referendum passed for roof replacements and other maintenance stuff and pretty sure Winnequah was part of that. And before anyone else strokes out, didn't Peter say insurance is paying for this?
Back to the topic at hand - I think the board should make it clear that no tax dollars will be spent on artificial turf period, end of discussion. Anything beyond that is absurd. This complaining about too many games per year at the HS field has been going on for years and years and somehow we keep playing those games and somehow the field is still there. Enough already. If the sports people want to raise the money, let them have at it. The sports tail already wags the dog in our public schools.
Totally no on artificial turf. Ridiculous. There are plenty of departments that need the money, and the previous poster is right- it is ALL about sports at the High School, and a little about music, but money for visual arts, or god forbid, actual important academic extra curriculars- practically nil.
Peter, you just have to accept that in some people's mind, you will be responsible for Winnequah School forever no matter what. Silly, petty, small, I know, but it is the way it is. It absolutely is true that roofs have leaks and need to be fixed, and if it is covered by insurance, then great. Ignore the rest.
I would really like to urge the School Board to support a number of debates among the current candidates for School Board. How can we facilitate several such events- like 4 or 5 instead of the normal one? I think there are so many important issues facing this community and that we really need to understand the depth and breadth of each person's experience, education and grasp of the issues.
So from your answer-we can plan on a leaky roof at Winnequah every Dec? Frankly, I thought a new roof was put on Winnequah last summer, was i wrong?
Yes, we plan for roof leaks - it is called insurance. On top of that we plan for the replacement of roofs as they reach the end of their expected service life. It would be a disservice to the taxpayer to replace the roof more frequently than required (it would also be a disservice to replace it less frequently than required)
I have a brand new roof on part of my house, and guess what - it had a leak in the first year (the contractor came back and fixed it), a new roof would be no guarantee of a no leaks.
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