A memorandum of agreement between the WW-P Board of Education and the WW-P High School South Booster Club for handling the installation of field lights at both of the district’s high schools will be discussed at the board meeting on Tuesday, November 23.
The drafted memorandum of agreement places all of the responsibility of installing the lights — from obtaining any necessary zoning approvals to financing the football field lights — in the hands of the Booster Club.
It protects the school district against any charges — even for utility (electrical) costs — with regard to use of the lights.
The proposed agreement grants the Booster Club the permission to enter school property to install the “improvements,” which consist of “a four-pole lighting system designed to illuminate two football fields (approximately 360 feet by 160 feet at each school) with 50 foot candles.” According to the proposed agreement, the installation would take place in 2012.
The Booster Club would be responsible for independently financing, carrying out, and installing the improvements, including obtaining any loans and hiring any professionals or contractors to install the lights.
“No board funds have been allocated for or spent on the improvements,” the proposed agreement states. The agreement also states that if the Booster Club is unable to raise sufficient funds to install the lights within two years, the board will terminate the agreement.
The school board does play some role in the light installation: approving the plans, specifications, and design of the field lights. The scheduling of work for the project will also be subject to approval by the superintendent.
The proposed measure also ensures that the district will not be responsible for any legal claims. Once the project is completed, the board will retain the exclusive right to determine the usage of the completed project, the proposed agreement states.
The agreement also states that following the installation, the Booster Club will be responsible for utility costs attributable to the use of the lights. Every school year, the board and the Booster Club will meet to estimate the cost of the usage for that school year, and the Booster Club will be required to advance those costs to the district before the school year begins.
One board member asked for more to be put into the agreement. Board member Alapakkam Manikandan said he saw that the agreement covered the installation aspects of the lights and the utility fees, but he was worried the agreement left the board responsible for unforeseen issues and costs in the future.
“One of the things that I was thinking is there could be hidden costs as we go ahead in terms of their maintenance,” he said. “I was wondering if we could have a more general clause in here that says any type of ongoing maintenance is also going to be covered by the Booster Club.”
As for safety, the agreement states that as much of the work as possible for installation will be performed during hours when school is not in session, and all of the areas that can be accessible by students will be cordoned off.
This past year, the board voted to give the West Windsor-Plainsboro Athletic Foundation the go-ahead to raise money to fund lighting for the playing fields at High Schools North and South, despite concerns from residents in the neighborhoods surrounding the two schools.
In anticipation of the future agreement with the Booster Club for installation of field lights, the school board voted over the summer to adopt a set of regulations governing commercial activities and advertising.
The policy set up various areas of commercial activity to be regulated: advertisements, sponsorships, and exclusive rights agreements. Officials did not include the district’s acceptance of gifts and the issue of naming rights, citing other policies handling those matters.
A decision regarding the actual installation will come once the fundraising is complete, a cost analysis is done, and more financial information provided.
