Nearly $2 million asked for athletic field updates
By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
After several months of debate and discussion, it’s official.
Residents living within Union Grove High School’s boundaries will be asked to vote “yes” or “no” in a special referendum about authorizing the district to borrow up to $1.895 million in general obligation bonds for athletic facility improvements in the next few years.
The School Board met Monday and voted to move forward and set a referendum date of Tuesday, May 15.
School officials explained that it is not possible to hold this referendum vote next month, during the April 3 general election.
The state deadline has passed for including a referendum question about the athletic facility improvements in the spring general election ballot in April, they explained.
As a result, school officials had to choose between a special election or wait to schedule this referendum in the fall primary or general election.
District Administrator Al Mollerskov said the cost of holding a special referendum will be between $8,500 and $11,000.
But holding a referendum during the primary or general election in August or November, respectively, would cost between $5,000 and $6,000, he said.
“Basically we’re spending about $4,000 more by having a special election,” Mollerskov said.
While working to pin down a date for the referendum, the board eventually voted for May 15 after examining all the logistics.
If the community does decide to move forward with the athletic field improvements, Mollerskov said a delay in construction work until after the fall sports season would result in a loss of between $13,000 and $20,000 in gate receipts and concession sales, because projects would pre-empt activities on school grounds in fall 2013.
“This would allow us not to miss a fall season,” Mollerskov said. “If we had to do work (during the fall), there wouldn’t be anything like a homecoming game here at the school.
“I think there would be a lot of effects that people might not realize.”
Based on a tentative timeline, construction would begin in mid-October with drainage work taking place through mid-December. Work would resume the following spring.
Mollerskov said a fact sheet with details about the referendum will be sent to residents around April 22.
Second time the charm?
This will be the second time that school officials are seeking permission from the community to enhance the athletic area.
In September 2010, a referendum question calling for replacement of the existing athletic field was defeated on a narrow 55-45 percent margin.
Had it moved forward, a number of improvements would have been made to the field, including placement of artificial turf and a rubberized track, as well as adding more drainage pipes to address ongoing flooding problems.
A separate referendum question, which asked for authority to improve the science labs at the high school, was approved on a 62-38 percent margin at the same time.
The upcoming referendum is independent of another school-related issue: acquiring up to 40 acres of land near the school.
Mollerskov said expansion is a long-range issue that has not yet been decided on by the board.
But talks have been in progress with a landowner whose property adjoins the high school.
In recent correspondence with the Westine Report, Daniel Riedel has said he is not currently interested in selling any of the 120 acres he owns because of the depressed state of the country’s real estate market.
Here’s what $1.895 million can buy
Items to be included in the upcoming high school referendum are:
• Artificial turf, $725,000
• Remedies for drainage issues, $425,000
• Track expansion (nine lane straight-away), $325,000 to $350,000
• Addition to bleachers (800 more seats and two new sections), $160,000
• Construction of retaining wall and earth wall on east side of field, $70,000 to $120,000
• Four light fixtures, $60,000 to $100,000
• Fencing, $15,000.
The total estimated cost of the project ranges from $1.78 million to $1.895 million
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