The county’s ongoing mission to refurbish the lighting at its various outdoor sports facilities was addressed once again by the Fayette County Board of Commissioners at its Sept. 25 meeting.
A $257,000 project for Soccer Field No. 4 and Softball Field No. 6 at McCurry Park was given the go-ahead, with $125,000 coming from the FY2015 budget and the remainder from the McCurry Park Contingency Fund. The board approved a bid from Donald Camp, Inc.
This is the next step in a long-term plan that took shape in 2003, according to Anita Godbee, director of the county’s Parks and Recreation Department. A total of 20 fields at Brooks Park, Kiwanis Park and McCurry Park have seen lighting improvements since early 2004 because of low light levels as well as the condition of the poles and the electrical panel boxes.
Low light levels and pole issues were cited by Godbee as the reasons for this latest project.
More than a dozen fields still have lighting issues that will have to be addressed, according to a staff report Godbee submitted to county administrator Steve Rapson in advance of the meeting. Some of the lights on those fields were initially installed in 1987.
“This year McCurry Park Soccer Field #4 and Softball Field #6 were chosen for refurbishment,” Godbee stated in her report. “The soccer field has some pole issues and electrical problems. The softball field was chosen due to the wooden poles which have a tendency to rot and due to the fact that the electrical panel has breakers which can no longer be purchased.”
A total of 325 possible vendors were notified through various channels and three companies submitted bids. Camp’s bid, which included an exception that it would accept the contract only if awarded the work on both fields, was still the lowest bid.
