Special Meeting

Note: Transcripts are generated from video auto-captions. While highly accurate, they are non-official and do not meet State Archivist record-keeping requirements.

• 0:00
  Roll Call

  The meeting begins with the roll call of the BOARD OF EDUCATION members.
• 0:00
  Pledge of Allegiance

  The board and attendees stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
• 0:02
  Action Item: SPESPA Grievance

  The board takes up an action item to vote on a grievance from the South Portland Educational Support Staff Professionals Association following an Executive Session.
• 0:02
  Vote on Grievance

  A motion is made and seconded to deny the grievance. The motion passes unanimously.
• 0:03
  Workshop Introduction (Chair)

  The Chair introduces the workshop on the future of the SPHS Athletic Complex, framing the discussion around the need for playable, affordable, and environmentally sound fields.
• 0:04
  Workshop Overview (Superintendent Metheny)

  Superintendent Metheny outlines the agenda for the evening, which includes presentations from staff, citizen groups, and industry experts. He also details the multi-workshop process for deciding the future of the athletic complex.
• 0:10
  Preview of Revised Proposal (Superintendent Metheny)

  The Superintendent shares a preliminary revised vision for the athletic complex. The new proposal would reduce synthetic turf use by 40% and the total cost by 28%, keeping the stadium field synthetic but having only one synthetic practice field and one refurbished natural grass field.
• 0:19
  Presentation on Field Maintenance (Rick Peruzzi)

  Rick Peruzzi, the city's Manager of Outdoor Athletic Facilities, details his extensive credentials and the history of the SPHS field. He explains that a combination of overuse (27 events in 30 days), compressed seasons, and limitations from the city's pesticide ordinance have made it impossible to maintain the 60-year-old grass field to a high standard.
• 0:29
  Board Q&A with Rick Peruzzi

  Board members question Mr. Peruzzi on the field's deterioration and potential solutions.

  • 0:29 Claire Holman
    Asks why the field was allowed to get into such bad shape and questions the overuse of the main field when other facilities like Wainwright exist.
  • 0:34 Rosemarie Rauscher
    Asks about developing unused areas at Wainwright, the possibility of getting exemptions for pesticide use, installing lights at Wainwright, and the trend of professional players preferring natural grass.
  • 0:40 Superintendent Metheny
    Asks how many events per month a brand new, high-quality natural grass field could sustain. Peruzzi estimates 12-15 events, but specifies that this would be for games only, with no practices.
• 0:54
  Presentation on Athletics Needs (Todd Livingston)

  Athletics Director Todd Livingston presents data on the high volume of events held on the field and the number of student-athletes affected. He argues that a synthetic surface would increase usability, reduce cancellations due to weather, and allow more teams like field hockey to play on campus.
• 1:07
  Board Q&A with Todd Livingston

  Board members question the Athletics Director on his presentation.

  • 1:10 Rosemarie Rauscher
    Challenges the presentation as being biased towards artificial turf, noting the lack of discussion on negative health and environmental impacts, such as extreme heat and chemical exposure.
  • 1:16 Elliot Schen
    Defends the speaker, stating that he is an athletic director, not a turf expert, and that it is unfair to expect him to present on the pros and cons of turf chemistry.
• 1:19
  Citizen Presentation: Defend Our Health (Sarah Woodbury)

  Sarah Woodbury, representing Defend Our Health, presents the case against artificial turf. She highlights the presence of toxic chemicals like PFAS, lead, and mercury, the environmental pollution caused by microplastics, and the misleading nature of recycling claims.
• 1:29
  Board Q&A with Sarah Woodbury

  Board members engage with Ms. Woodbury on her presentation.

  • 1:30 Jennifer Ryan
    Asks for clarification on the sources of the research presented and challenges the implication that parents who support turf are knowingly putting their children in harm's way.
  • 1:35 Adrian Dowling
    Asks if Ms. Woodbury or her organization has any financial affiliation with companies that sell natural turf products, to which she replies no.
• 1:42
  Citizen Presentation: Parents & Coaches (Jana Grant)

  Jana Grant, a parent, coach, and medical professional, speaks on behalf of a group of citizens in favor of artificial turf. She emphasizes that the current grass field is unsafe and unusable for much of the season, and that turf would provide equitable, safe, and reliable access for the majority of student-athletes.
• 1:55
  Q&A with Industry Representatives

  Ben Gleason of Activitas (design firm) and Lauren Eski of Geo Surfaces (turf company) are invited to the podium to answer technical questions from the board.

  • 1:57 Lauren Eski
    Addresses PFAS, stating their products are made without intentionally added PFAS and are tested before shipping. She also describes their advanced recycling partnership with ExxonMobil and Cyclx, which can recycle 100% of old turf fields.
  • 2:01 Ben Gleason
    Explains that his firm is independent and discusses maintenance costs, noting synthetic turf requires about one-third the man-hours of natural grass. He also addresses the heat island effect, stating that the proposed Brockfill infill keeps temperatures significantly lower.
• 2:14
  Board Q&A with Industry Representatives

  Board members ask follow-up questions about natural grass alternatives, product warranties, and the recycling process.

  • 2:14 Claire Holman
    Asks if a natural grass-only option for the high school was ever considered. Mr. Gleason explains that to meet the usage demands, a natural-grass-only solution would require a much larger, multi-site project across the city.
  • 2:19 Susan Schen
    Asks for details on the recycling program, including its age, what percentage of the field is recyclable (100%), and the cost, which is estimated to be around $20,000 plus freight.
  • 2:23 Rosemarie Rauscher
    Confirms the partnership with ExxonMobil for recycling and that Geo Surfaces is affiliated with the sale of the turf product.
• 2:33
  Public Comment

  The board opens the floor for public comment. Multiple citizens speak, presenting arguments both for and against the installation of artificial turf.

  • 2:34 Mary Lineman
    Speaking for a group of citizens, she advocates for organic grass fields. She references a document provided to the board detailing the harms of artificial turf and the feasibility of organic maintenance.
  • 2:38 Amy Haskins
    Expresses strong opposition to artificial turf, viewing it as ethically wrong to install acres of plastic. She questions the feasibility and true cost of recycling, arguing the advantages do not outweigh the plastic waste generated.
  • 2:40 Ralph Myers
    A pediatrician and toxicologist, he voices concern over the lack of adequate studies on the health effects of artificial turf's chemical components on children, who have unique vulnerabilities.
  • 2:43 Karen Taino
    A retired biology professor, she argues that installing a "plastic blanket" over natural habitat is the wrong decision at a time of environmental crisis and that the industry is not fully transparent about the chemicals used.
  • 2:46 Sarah Lehman
    A parent of a soccer player, she speaks in favor of turf, highlighting the financial benefits of renting fields to club teams and the logistical necessity of keeping JV and Varsity teams on the same campus.
  • 2:48 Ben Jenkins
    A parent who sees the need for a turf practice field but raises significant concerns about the extreme heat on new turf fields, even with cooling infill, and its impact on usability during late summer.
  • 2:50 James Mellow
    A physician, he argues against turf from a climate perspective, noting that plastics produce significant greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of their lifecycle, from production to disposal.
  • 2:54 Rev. Priscilla Draymond
    Urges the board to "get it right" by choosing natural grass, preserving topsoil that sequesters carbon, and avoiding the plastic pollution that harms fragile ecosystems like Casco Bay.
  • 2:56 JD Dobson
    A parent and longtime coach, he argues that synthetic turf is a practical necessity for the Maine climate. He states the current fields are a disgrace and that the community needs to provide adequate, competitive facilities for its students now.
• 3:00
  Board Closing Comments

  Board members discuss follow-up items for the next meeting, including a request to hear more student perspectives. Ms. Rauscher comments on the environmental justice implications of the recycling facility being located in Louisiana.
• 3:03
  Adjournment

  A motion to adjourn is made, seconded, and passed unanimously. The meeting is adjourned at 9:25 PM.