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BACKGROUND On April 7, 2015, Council approved the plans and specifications for the Bernal Community Park Phase II project. The scope of work included the installation of three lighted all-weather turf sports fields, which went into service in October 2016. All- weather turf sports fields are referred to as AstroTurf, synthetic grass, synthetic turf and turf. The purchase and installation of the all-weather turf was awarded to Valley Precision Grading, Inc. in the amount of$2,090,778, which included biannual maintenance of the fields consisting of deep sweeping, cleaning and minor seam repairs. The manufacturer of the all-weather turf is AstroTurf which provides an eight- year warranty on the fields; however, improper maintenance methods, lack of maintenance and abuse can void the warranty. All-weather turf fields consist of base system, including base rock and a shock pad, the turf material and an infill material that is spread out on top of the turf. The infill material keeps the artificial grass blades upright, which creates a natural looking surface and provides traction for users. The infill material in many all-weather turf systems is comprised of a combination of silica sand and recycled crumb rubber. At the time the infill material was specified, there were concerns regarding the long-term health impacts of crumb rubber stemming from non-scientific reports linking crumb rubber exposure through inhalation, skin contact and ingestion to cancer. Due to these concerns presented at the April 7, 2015, Council meeting, the product Zeofill was selected as the infill for this project. Zeofill is derived from zeolites, which are naturally occurring minerals found in specific types of sedimentary rock. In 2019, sports leagues using the all-weather turf fields began complaining about slippery conditions on the three fields resulting in poor traction for sports. To help improve traction, additional Zeofill was added to the fields in May 2020 by Valley Precision Grading, Inc. This temporarily resolved the issue. In summer 2021, user groups, primarily football, again complained of slippery conditions. In March 2022, the City utilized an independent sports testing company to assess the condition of the fields. While the fields are in overall good condition, the testing company determined that substantial replenishment of the infill to maintain playability is required on all three fields to improve traction due to heavy use. DISCUSSION The all-weather turf fields at Bernal Community Park are heavily utilized by the co- sponsored sport leagues and the public. The need to replenish the infill is a direct result of heavy field use. All-weather turf fields maintenance requirements vary by the amount of use and routine maintenance practices. According to the manufacturer AstroTurf, infill top-off programs are typical and needed for fields that are highly used and have had multiple years of use, particularly for fields that utilize alternative infill products such as Zeofill. Not performing maintenance, which includes additional infill top-offs as needed, may jeopardize the warranty. Proper maintenance will extend the useful life of the fields and delay costly turf material replacement. The Parks Division has a robust maintenance program for the fields consisting of routine weekly sweeping and monthly Page 2 of 3