SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/26719
• Remember, you can always negotiate what you have in the specifications of the contract, but you cannot add to the specifi- cations once you have hired the contractor and started the project—unless you want to pay extra! • Know and understand your construc- tion plans as well as the contract specifica- tions. You will use these extensively throughout the project. CONTRACTOR SELECTION • Contractor shall list all sports field construction (or related) projects currently in progress: name, contact person, schedule or percent completion, and value/amount of project. • Contractor shall provide list and cre- dentials of all sub-contractors for approval before the awarding of the bid. • Contractor shall list all projects that were awarded to them but failed to com- plete within the past 7 years. • Contractor shall list all defaults of bids and/or performance bonds. • Contractor shall list all judgments, claims, arbitration, proceedings, or lawsuits pending or outstanding either against them or from them for the past 7 years. • Contractor shall provide the name, credentials, and job responsibility of the turfgrass superintendent the contractor intends to use during the sports field con- struction before bid. • Contractor shall provide information or a list of past completed jobs relating to sports field complex construction as a refer- ence. • Specify that the bid will go to the low- est, qualified bidder for the project and then define “qualified.” CONTRACTOR/OWNER ISSUES • Have the contractor develop a timeline for the start date and completion date of all aspects of the project in the appropriate order. • Contractor should meet with his/her architect, sub-contractors, and owner repre- sentatives at least once per week. Commu- SOIL SELECTION • Use a reputable soil testing lab for nication is the key! • Contractor should make periodic changes on the timeline and approved by the owner. • Liquidated damages should be applied to the contractor if he/she fails to meet the timeline. Make sure the amount is appro- priate (i.e., $100 per day for being late will likely not get the attention of a contractor on a $10 million project). • Change orders need to be made in a timely manner with approval by the owner and the contractor. • Documentation is critical for change orders and specifications of the contract. • Payments to the contractor should be made if he/she adheres to the contract and shows adequate and acceptable progress. • Payments should be withheld if the contractor fails to adhere to the specifica- tions or does not show adequate and ac- ceptable progress. www.stma.org SportsTurf 25