How Tolland High's Artificial Turf Field Could be Managed

Now that Tolland has secured funding and approval to install artificial turf and lights on the THS athletic field, the town is trying to determine how the facility will be run.

Superintendent William Guzman presented a proposed field management plan to the school board at its Wednesday meeting.

According to the plan included in the meeting agenda:

• The town will be in charge of creating the field's master schedule
• The school district gets priority use of the field in the fall and spring, Monday through Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon
• The town will create a fee schedule for outside groups to use the field and lights
• The town will market the field for use and will be in charge of looking for appropriate advertising opportunities within the field space, with approval from the school board
• The board will be in charge of daily emptying of trash barrels, picking up debris, etc. after practices, which the town will be responsible for outside of the designated school board hours
• The town will maintain a budget to fund part-time help, maintenance costs, portable toilets, administrative overhead, etc.  for the periods when the school board is not using the field. Field revenue will be used to pay these costs and to save for future field maintenance. Another portion of the revenue will be placed into a fund to offset pay-to-participate fees and recreation department programs

A building committee will oversee the installation of the turf and lights, set to begin in spring of 2013. So far, the field is projected to be ready for use in the fall of 2013.

Building committe members are:

• Clem Langlois, Public Works Director
• Tom Ainsworth, Director, Recreation & Adult Education
• Pat Cox, Athletic Director, Tolland High School
• John Carroll, Maintenance Manager, Tolland Board of Education
• Jim Leahy, Tolland Soccer Club
•  Rick Perryman, NCFL Youth Football President
•  Lou Deloreto, Resident
• Josh Freeman, Town Council Representative
•  Tom Frattaroli, Board of Education Representative
• Bev Bellody, Director, Human Services, Town of Tolland and Ad Hoc Member

Athletic Director Pat Cox and Recreation Director Tom Ainsworth will communicate weekly during the spring and fall to coordinate the field's use, according to the proposed plan.

The school board and town council have yet to approve the management plan, which would last for 15 years and would be renewed at 5 year intervals.

The complete proposed agreement can be seen in the meeting agenda.