New Lenox Board Approves $1.02 Million Turf Infill Fix for Sports Complex

Meeting Summary and Briefs: New Lenox Village Board for May 18, 2026

Article Summary: The New Lenox Village Board on Monday, May 18, 2026, approved a not-to-exceed $1,026,930 proposal with the Motz Group to add a combined 1.6 million pounds of sand and rubber infill to the village’s sports complex turf to correct material that was lacking from a previous contractor, with the approval made subject to attorney review.

Sports Complex Turf Infill Key Points:

• Approved a not-to-exceed proposal of $1,026,930 with the Motz Group to add sand and rubber infill to sports complex turf fields.
• The infill is needed to protect the turf from premature failure after a previous contractor failed to install adequate material.
• The board waived formal bidding, citing Motz’s prior quality work and the specialized nature of the job.
• The work will be completed in a single mobilization scheduled around tournaments already booked at the complex.

NEW LENOX — The New Lenox Village Board on Monday, May 18, 2026, unanimously approved a proposal with the Motz Group for a turf infill addition at the village sports complex at a cost not to exceed $1,026,930, with the contract subject to attorney review before execution.

The proposal calls for the Motz Group to add a combined 1.6 million pounds of sand and rubber infill to the sports complex turf fields. According to Operations Director Brian Williams, the infill material was lacking from work completed by a previous contractor, and the addition is needed to protect the turf from premature failure.

The board first voted to waive the formal bidding process before taking up the proposal itself. Both motions passed by unanimous roll call vote, with trustees Keith Madsen, Bryan Reiser, Jim Wilson and Katie Christopherson all voting yes, joined by Mayor Tim Baldermann. Trustees Lindsay Scalise and Amy Gugliuzza were absent from the meeting.

Previous Contractor Issues Prompt Action

Williams told the board that Motz was the appropriate firm for the corrective work and described the company as “a trusted firm that’s done quality work for us in the past.” He requested that the board waive formal bidding and hire Motz to complete what he called the “needed” work.

Baldermann referenced concerns with the original turf contractor, saying “the company that we had used before, well, there’s just some questions.” The mayor then asked that the approval be made contingent on legal review.

“I would ask though that the motion that we make to approve this be subject to attorney review,” Baldermann said. “There’s a few things we want to go over on it.”

No Tournament Disruption Expected

A trustee asked whether the infill work would interfere with scheduled tournaments at the complex. Williams responded that Motz had already coordinated with Crossroads General Manager Scott Brost and had received a tournament schedule identifying available work windows.

“They’ll get it done in one mobilization,” Williams told the board, meaning the contractor will not need to demobilize and return to the site multiple times during the project.

One board member compared the application process to a large-scale fertilizer spread, describing the equipment as “crazy spreaders.”

The Motz Group action was one of several proposals approved Monday night under waived formal bidding procedures, including separate contracts with Herrera Construction for bleacher and playground sun shades at the same sports complex. Village officials cited specialized requirements, warranty considerations and the established working relationships with vendors as reasons for setting aside the formal bid process on those items.

The next regular meeting of the Village Board is scheduled for June 8, 2026.