City Council to vote on finalizing $250,000 from SnowGlobe organizer for fields

As part of his agreement with the City of South Lake Tahoe to hold SnowGlobe on the new Community Play Fields, organizer Chad Donnelly guaranteed $250,000 to fix and/or replace the fields should they be damaged by the three-day festival December 29-31.

During the Councils February 6 meeting, the following item is on the agenda: The City and Snowglobe desire to settle any potential disputes regarding damages to the Community Play Fields caused by the music festival. The proposed settlement agreement and release contemplates the provision of $250,000.00 in cash from Snowglobe to the City. In exchange, the City will assess all damages to the Community Play Fields. The City will return to Snowglobe, LLC any balance of the $250,000.00 not required to repair the fields.

With no snow covering the new fields there was some damage to the soil and turf which had just been finished at the end of summer, 2017. It is still too early to know what the exact cost will be to fix them.

Youth and adult leagues had yet to play on the fields in 2017 and it may be July 1, 2018 before they are ready for sports to be played on them.

According to Jim Marina, the City's assistant public works director, some portions of the fields need to be replaced while other parts need a new top dressing and seeding. The project team is currently preparing documents so the project can go out to bid once the winter is over.

Once a contractor is hired they have to wait until May 1 to grade per the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's (TRPA) rules though the City can apply to TRPA to dig dirt prior to that.

Until Spring the field is dormant and exact replacement costs won't be known until then. The City hired a turf expert and their information will be included in the bid.

Once the turf is replaced it will need about eight weeks to take root, depending on the weather.

Marino said the situation this year is unique as the fields had never been used, thus not having normal stress on them. In the future, damage, he said, probably wouldn't be near the level is was this year as it will be more established.

The annual Come Up For Air (CUFA) soccer tournament will be in South Lake Tahoe June 16-17, 2018, so most likely they will be scheduled to play on the other fields around the South Shore as they have in years past.