Passed during the last legislative session, a new law will require the school district and city to replace some bleachers within the community.

Thursday, October 21, 1999

Passed during the last legislative session, a new law will require the school district and city to replace some bleachers within the community.

Other bleachers with gaps of more than four inches between seats, rails and steps will also require attention, possibly replacing the gaps with wood planks.

The law was passed after a child died after falling from bleachers in Hutchinson, Minn.

&uot;We can’t have gaps any greater than four inches in the railings steps or seats,&uot; said Bruce Olson, district facilities and transportation director. &uot;The reason behind that is they (the Legislature) feel a child can slip through it. It use to be six inches.&uot;

Olson said the district won’t know exactly what bleachers need replacing and the costs until after an engineering study is completed; the Legislature set a Jan. 1, 2001 date for mandatory compliance with 60 percent of the costs mandated as local.

But Olson said the state has approved a $50,000 grant to replace some of the district bleachers.

&uot;It will take way more than $50,000 to do the work, especially if we do all of Hammer Field,&uot; he said. &uot;But the $50,000 will cover what we’re going to do.&uot;

He said if the Hammer Field bleachers aren’t compliant, the district can barricade access to some problem areas.

At Brookside Middle School and Southwest Junior High School, the district plans to cover the gaps with wood, stained to match the bleachers, he said.

&uot;A lot of districts are really smarting from another unfunded mandate,&uot; said Superintendent David Prescott. &uot;A lot of school districts are rushing forward and doing a lot of expensive things – especially replacing them.&uot;

Throughout Minnesota, local municipalities must also comply with the new law.

Albert Lea City Manager Paul Sparks said the city hasn’t yet determined what it will cost to replace uncompliant bleachers, but there are some within the city at Snyder and Hayek fields.

Bleachers at the City Arena also don’t meet the new standards, but he said city staff can likely fix any problems at the arena.

&uot;We don’t have a (cost) number on it yet,&uot; Sparks said. &uot;We’re working on it.

&uot;We’re going to look at the ones in the arena. They may need to have some planking put on,&uot; he said.