Smackover-Norphlet moves forward with football stadium lighting project

The Smackover-Norphlet School Board met for a special meeting on Tuesday and approved bids that will allow a project to replace the lighting at Buckaroo Stadium to move forward.

The board originally discussed the project during its April meeting.

During that meeting, SNSD Superintendent Jason Black initially presented the project to the board as one to both replace the lighting and light poles at the stadium, as well as adding turf.

Two representatives from GeoSport Lighting, the company which previously completed a project to replace lighting on the district’s baseball field last year, attended the April meeting to explain the company’s role in the proposed project.

The project was narrowed to focus just on the stadium lighting and tabled in anticipation of receiving quotes for the electrical work needed for the project.

On Tuesday, Black presented board members with two quotes for the electrical work. The district also discussed the project with two other electric companies, Black said, but both were unable to meet the strict timetable required to finish the project before football season.

Board members unanimously approved the lowest bid, which was $36,123.43 from Evers Electric.

Evers Electric will be responsible for removing existing wiring on the 12 light poles set to be removed as well as rewiring.

“The other thing [Evers] sent us was confirmation that they will be able to start on May 18, with a goal of getting out of there on June 8 so the stadium lighting crew can get in there and get this thing knocked out before August,” Black said.

Black added that he expects a portion of the electrical work to be paid for through the scrapped copper wiring.

“We’ll almost be able to pay for [the electrical work] on this project with the copper wiring that comes down,” Black said.

A second resolution was read and unanimously passed addressing board member Damon Goodwin’s status as an employee of Evers Electric.

The resolution presents justification for the selection of Evers Electric, including submission of the lowest bid and the fact that four companies were consulted.

Goodwin also recused himself from the special-called meeting.

A final resolution to approve GeoSport Lighting’s portion of the project, the removal and replacement of the existing football stadium light poles at a cost of $177,440, passed unanimously.

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