New Fairfield’s Field Fees Committee (FFC) was pleasantly surprised by a new quote that recently came through for the turf and track replacement. Originally anticipated to cost over one  million dollars, the new quote from Sprint Turf shaved several h undred thousand off that amount. Director of Business and Operations Ms. Carrie DePuy assured all that the quote includes all of the planned add-ons, such as a pad under the turf. However,  the quote is expected to fluctuate, depending on when the district can commit to the work.

There was a discussion about the quote being “leaked” to social media. All involved agreed to follow proper protocol in reviewing information internally and on the committee before releasing it to the public.

Next steps include scheduling a meeting wi th Sprint Turf representatives and the FFC  to discuss and secure pricing and agree on the timing of the installation, as well as whether it makes sense to upgrade the lighting at the same time. The cost for the lighting will increase if the installation requires simultaneously protecting what would then be a new track. The group has a portion of the funds secured by the Field Fees Fund, but feel that they are in limbo with the remaining funds still in flux. There is a hope to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for a portion of the funding—the committee is  waiting for confirmation from the First Selectman. The use of surplus funds is also a possibility, with the Board of Finance already signaling approval for the funding once the audit is complete.

Committee members discussed increasing the field fees by $5 or $10, for a total of $45 or $50 per participant, but they ultimately agreed to wait on the increase. They acknowledged that there will be a time crunch for some fall sports organizations to incorporate the increase into their fees—some sports groups have already opened fall registration. The higher fee would eliminate the need for an additional cost for the use of the JJP field. A  special meeting will be scheduled for early June to vote on the increase. A long-term plan was drafted t o calculate necessary fees for turf and track replacement for many years to com e.

The Rebel Pavilion, which houses restrooms was discussed at length, as it is in a state of disrepair and is somewhat overseen, but not fully owned, by either the school or the Town Parks and Recreation. Maintenance of the space is split between the two, including weekly cleaning and paper replacement. However, bigger replacements and repairs are needed, such as painting the railings, shutting down the water in winter, testing the water in the spring, replacing the rug in the lobby, fixing the toilets, and more. DePuy said that the maintenance is “one space where the Town and I kind of don’t see eye to eye because I think most of the Town Pavilion should be maintained by the Town.” She went on “there have been talks of just taping it up,” going on to say, “It really is kind of a pain and it is not really always respected by the people that use it…it is a headache for Phil [Ross] and his guys. So I don’t know what we should do with this thing.” The Committee agreed that a joint meeting will be requested with the Board of Selectmen and the Park and Recreation Committee to discuss future maintenance.