On Nov. 2, Scarborough residents voted in favor of a bond of up to $1.9 million to renovate the turf field and track at Scarborough High School. Haleigh Couture photo
SCARBOROUGH — Voters in Scarborough voted yes on two bond questions and elected three Town Council members, three Board of Education members and two trustees for the Sanitary District on Nov. 2 according to unofficial town results.
Those elected to the Town Council include Donald R. Hamill with 5,433 votes, and Paul M. Johnson, 5,518 votes both for three-year terms; and April V. Sither, to a one-year term, with 5,395 votes.
The three Board of Education winners of three-year terms are Jenna Leong with 4,418 votes, Jillian Trapini-Huff with 4,414 votes and John Kelleher with 4,294 votes.
The two trustees for the Sanitary District elected to three-year terms are Nicola Rico with 5,636 votes and Michael Stein with 5,569 votes.
Voters also approved to municipal bonds. The result for municipal referendum Question 1 for a $725,000 bond to purchase a new firetruck to replace a 1996 fire engine was 4,897 to 2,456. Results for Question 2, an up to $1.9 million bond for a new turf field and track at Scarborough High School was 4,044 to 3,378.
The track was first installed in 1979, according to the Scarborough Voter Guide. In 2006, the track underwent a second resurfacing and the original turf was installed. Since then, there has been ongoing maintenance to support the active use of both amenities.
In 2019, residents voted against what was then a $1.2 million bond to replace the track and field.
Prior to the vote this time around, school officials said the turf was well past its lifespan and it could no longer be remedied by general maintenance. The typical lifespan for turf fields maxes out between eight to 10 years of usage. The field is now greatly deteriorated at the surface and is posing safety concerns for further intended use, officials said.
According to the Voter Guide, “the project scope of work will renovate in four areas: the turf, track, discus ring, and long jump pits. Additionally, doing the major facility renovations opens up the opportunity to improve power connection issues for safety reasons.”
“The 97,058 square foot turf surface would be replaced with a comparable product and designed with safety, durability and playability in mind,” according to the guide. “The track surface is planned to be an all-weather surface that will meet the needs of our multi-use facility all while meeting International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) standards for international competition.”
In addition to the new surface, the footprint of the track will be expanded in order to conform to National Federation of State High Schools obstacle-free zone safety standards. The expansion also allows for an improved design of the fence that surrounds the track and turf.
The new fire truck will “replace a 26-year-old fire truck that lacks many of the safety components that are today’s standard in every vehicle, including fire trucks,” according to Fire Chief B. Michael Thurlow. The old engine, with approximately 151,520 miles, and 9,250 engine hours when it is retired from service, Thurlow said, “lacks anti-lock brakes, stability control systems, and air bag restraint systems which are now standard equipment in nearly all fire apparatus.”
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