A pair of upgrade projects, both in the Lee Beran Recreation Center and rec-center-operated facilities, will see further discussion at a later date.
The first item considered and eventually tabled by the Emporia Recreation Commission during their monthly meeting Monday evening was for a turf replacement project at Soden’s Grove. According to Emporia Rec Director Amanda Gutierrez, the current turf has well outlived its “life expectancy,” having been in use for the past 14 years with an original eight-year “life span.”
Commissioners received presentations from three agencies looking to handle the project, Mid-America Sports Construction, Field Turf and ATG Sports, all three of which have notable resumes including existing work in Emporia.
Given the resumes and experience in Emporia, commissioners chose not to decide at this time and instead tabled the discussion for a special meeting, likely next week, to gather more information on each company, including reaching out to other entities that have worked with them in the past.
Gutierrez said they hope to begin the project at some point in October, with an average project timeline of six weeks, weather permitting.
In other business, commissioners also tabled a decision on updating their current phone and internet provider. Currently, the Rec Commission utilizes Sparklight; however, it was operating on the same system as the City of Emporia, which recently switched over to IdeaTek. With that changeover, rec leadership thought it worthwhile to look into alternative options.
Two bids have been submitted, one from Sparklight and the other from IdeaTek; however, the latter came just before the start of Monday’s meeting, with commissioners wanting additional time to review their options. The discussion will likely resume during the ERC’s next monthly meeting in October.
In separate matters, ERC members received an update on plans for the 2026 KSHSAA 1A Division II state volleyball tournament coming to White Auditorium on October 30th and 31st, as well as the regular team leadership reports.
The ERC will hold its next monthly meeting on Monday, October 19th.
