County leases city facilities for $1
Clinton City Football Field to get new (artificial) turf
It used to cost the Anderson County School System “about” $150,000 a year to lease recreational facilities from the city.
That included the city football field, baseball field, softball field, tennis courts, soccer venue, and swimming pool.
And the city took care of maintenance and any improvements to the facilities.
That changed Monday night when Anderson County Commission voted unanimously to enter a 20-year lease agreement with the city at $1 per year for the Clinton football and baseball fields.
The school system will now be in charge of maintaining the facilities, and Clinton City Football Field — a bastion of tradition and natural grass — will have artificial turf installed.
“Looking at it, it will save the school system money in the long run,” Assistant Director of Anderson County Schools Greg Deal told the commission.
A softball field is under construction on the Clinton High School campus.
Deal did note that the school system and the city would “share the cost of improvements” to the facilities, but not the new turf.
“The schools have agreed to buy the new turf for the football field,” Interim County Finance Director Robby Holbrook told commissioners.
No timetable for installation of the turf was mentioned, but Tuesday morning Clinton High School Head Football Coach Darell Keith said he was told it would be installed by May.
He noted that even if the May target date is not met, he is confident the turf will be ready by the beginning of high school football season.
