Troup trustees approve reduced softball field plan
BY CHARLOTTE SMITH Editor

"Your field, your kids, your money, your choice." Those words were spoken by Supt. Marvin Beaty to Troup ISD school board members and construction and engineering representatives gathered to consider scaled-back plans to renovate the girls softball field.

At the special meeting on Oct. 17, trustees approved a plan for $270,121.89, a savings of more than $150,000 from the original low bid of $421,400 by TCMC Commercial LLP of Tyler.

Unlike the $421,400 bid, the new plans do not include renovations for the city-owned restroom facilities across from the field. Mike Craig of Eubanks, Harris, Roberts & Craig Architects told trustees that he had called the state of Texas about compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act and that the school was not required to bring those facilities up to code, but must provide a handicapped accessible bathroom.

Other changes to the original bid (with savings in parentheses):

-- reducing contingency allowance ($40,000)

-- raise dugouts to ground level ($9,387.83)

-- lower bleacher section ($44,653.58)

-- eliminate flatwork between bleachers and dugouts ($4,284)

-- change all fencing to galvanized ($19,347.70)

-- omit one set of bleachers ($6,205)

The school board approved the lower bid 6-0; trustee Kent Lindsey was not present.

"It seems like you're doing what you've got to do, faced with the numbers that were thrown out to you," said Tim Ross from Troup Youth Association, which owns the softball fields and leases them to the school. "I would have loved to have seen the dugouts recessed, but I sure don't blame you for not doing it, either."

The original bid included plans for bleachers on the first and third base lines and groundwork to raise the bleachers approximately two feet. The dugouts were to be recessed or lowered the same amount. This would have maximized visibility from the bleachers.

With the new plan calling for just one set of bleachers to be situated behind home plate, that eliminated the need for raising and lowering bleachers and dugouts. The lone bleacher will seat approximately 100, which Ross said should be fine.

The approved plan still calls for the field to be moved approximately 20 feet to the west due to drainage and safety issues.

"We decided to go ahead and do the dirtwork and move the field," said Craig. "We didn't feel we could put the dugouts safely against the street and under power lines."

Both Beaty and board president Joe Paul McElroy commended Craig, Rea Boudreaux from The C.T. Brannon Corporation and Todd Williams from TCMC for their effor ts to rescale the project and provide options to the school district.

The $270,121.89 was approved with a necessary budget amendment from the capital projects fund.