Officials last week approved more than $100,000 for the purchase and application of grass treatment products at New Canaan’s athletic fields, both on school grounds and in parks.
The soccer fields at Waveny on Aug. 31, 2017. Credit: Michael Dinan
A figure that has come down as some grass fields are converted to artificial turf, the approximately $109,000 approved by the Board of Selectmen will be divided between two contracts: $90,911 for the purchase of products from Burlington, Mass.-based Tom Irwin Inc. and $18,200 for Harwinton-based Championship Turf Services to apply them.
“It has been working great separating the products from the company that is applying them,” John Howe, parks superintendent with the New Canaan Department of Public Works, told the selectmen at their Aug. 22 meeting, held in Town Hall.
“We own the products and we know how much we are supposed to apply and make sure that we get that applied. With this, our products have been reduced a little bit, mainly because of the new water tower field.”
He added that the town would begin using “wetting agents”—substances that reduce the surface tension of water, allowing the same amount to cover a larger area.
The board—First Selectman Rob Mallozzi and Selectmen Beth Jones and Nick Williams—voted 3-0 in favor of the contracts.
Jones thanked Howe “for being so diligent in using least amount of pesticides you have to and getting this all right.”
Howe said school grounds get no pesticides at all and that other areas—such as Conner Field—get only one application each year.
“They are better conditioned now using less pesticides and more organics, more over-seeding and things like that,” Howe said.
Jones commended Howe for using organic fertilizers and “not over-fertilizing.”
“Because it is important, and I think we are very lucky to have you and I am not sure lot of towns are as careful as you are,” she said.
Williams added that although the town has “cut way back” on chemicals used to treat the fields, still they “look great.”
This looks like an example of good stewardship from our selectmen.