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The board was supposed to approve plans designed by Clough Harbour and Associates of Kansas City, Mo., last month. The vote was delayed after the design firm informed the district that competition from contractors had been low and that waiting a month to put out bids could increase interest and possibly reduce the cost of renovations.
The complex will serve as Winona Senior High School’s athletic facility; will accommodate practices and competition for WSU, district and Cotter school teams; and will be open to community activities.
A joint-powers agreement between the district, Winona State University and the Morrie Miller Athletic Foundation — a nonprofit that helps fund athletic programs in the Winona area — still has to be reworked, district financial affairs director Jeff Seeley said. WSU was advised by legal counsel that it could not enter into the agreement with the Miller Foundation, and when a new deal is devised, the board will be asked to vote on it.
Seeley wasn’t sure how long the bidding process would take.
The Miller Foundation, meanwhile, has been working on installing new sports lighting at the field.
The Winona school board voted to approve a lease levy earlier this year, which will fund the district’s portion of the renovations. In May, the board voted for a $650,000 lease levy, an increase over a previously approved $500,000 levy, because of a decision to switch the field’s turf from grass to artificial turf.
xfs-123 wrote on Aug 22, 2008 4:10 PM: