By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
HOWARD – The village board approved a pair of contracts for lighting two soccer fields at the Nouryon Park sports complex.
Mike Kaster, director of engineering, said village staff applied for and received outdoor recreation grant funding through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to provide up to $198,450, not to exceed 50 percent of the project costs.
Kaster said soccer fields No. 2 and 3 will be lit by the project, which also lights adjacent parking areas and the soccer concession stand.
“The (lighting) project has been split up into two contracts – one contract for installation and then one contract just simply for the materials,” he said. “These materials are fairly specialized. They are large poles and lights. They are going to be very similar to what’s out at the baseball diamonds now.”
Kaster said the materials were bid out separately, to avoid a price markup by a subcontractor, with the bids coming in under budget.
The board approved a bid of $91,855 from Unlimited Enterprises for the lighting installation and $220,000 from Musco Lighting for the materials, contingent upon DNR authorization to award and attorney review of the contracts.
Village administrator Paul Evert said the agreement calls for the United Hurricanes to contribute half of the amount not covered by the grant with the village matching the soccer club’s portion with money coming out of the Park Impact Fee fund.
Based on the maximum grant amount being just under $200,000, Evert said the soccer club expected it would be responsible for raising approximately $100,000.
The United Hurricanes sought a written assurance it would continue to receive priority scheduling at the sports complex as well as being allowed to sell naming rights for the two fields to be lit, though the overall naming rights to the entire complex remain with the village.
The village’s agreement with the United Hurricanes is for 10 years, and would automatically renew for five-year periods, unless, 90 days prior to the end of a term, one of the parties sends written notice to the other indicating an intent to terminate the agreement.