August 25, 2026
Agenda Item No. 19
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:
Zachary Gentry, Municipal Operations Director - 949-644-3055, [email protected] PREPARED BY:
Kevin Pekar, Parks and Trees Superintendent - 949-644-3069, [email protected] TITLE:
Athletic Field Sod Management Program
ABSTRACT:
The Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Ad Hoc Committee recommends establishing the Athletic Field Sod Management Program to completely discontinue the use of synthetic herbicides on all athletic fields maintained by the City of Newport Beach (City), addressing community concerns regarding chemical exposure. Building on the pilot project at Buffalo Hills Park, this proactive program would replace chemical weed control with regular, rotational sod replacement cycles every three to five years to ensure field playability and player safety. Should the City Council approve the new annual program, staff requests a $1,250,000 budget amendment to begin implementing the program and provide specialized project management and quality-control oversight.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Determine this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because this action will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly; Adopt an amended athletic field sod management program, discontinuing all synthetic herbicide use on City of Newport Beach athletic fields and instead implementing a regular sod replacement program; and Approve Budget Amendment No. 27-013, transferring $500,000 in existing General Fund appropriations and appropriating $750,000 from the Parks & Community Centers Fund’s unappropriated fund balance for a total of $1,250,000 to the Parks Division’s Services Contract account (0108531-811017-AFSOD) to support the athletic field sod management program, which includes new sod removal and replacement on athletic fields and a consultant to assist in implementation and management of the program.
DISCUSSION:
The IPM Ad Hoc Committee (Committee) recommended transitioning the City to an expanded organic turf management program, the Athletic Field Sod Management Program (Attachment B) which completely discontinues the use of synthetic herbicides on all City-maintained athletic field areas. This strategic shift is intended to directly address community health concerns regarding chemical exposure on high use play surfaces while establishing an environmentally progressive approach to turf management. This new program would focus exclusively on heavily utilized athletic fields, where intensive weed proliferation can degrade playing surfaces, create dangerous trip hazards, and compromise overall player safety. The City intends to continue its current State of California and County of Orange-approved IPM program, including the use of synthetic herbicides, like Round-Up, when necessary, for other non-turf areas.
This recommended programmatic shift for athletic fields is the result of a deliberate, community-driven process that began with the adoption of Resolution No. 2025-16 on April 29, 2025, which established the Committee. Following an initial review of the City's existing maintenance practices, the Committee met with community members from the Harbor View and Newport Hills communities on September 15, 2025, to address specific concerns regarding synthetic herbicide use at Buffalo Hills Park and Bonita Canyon Sport Park. To test the viability of a non-chemical approach, the Committee initiated a pilot program at the Buffalo Hills Park athletic field in December 2025. This pilot project is still being evaluated but is demonstrating that removing the existing turf, leveling the surface, and installing overseeded hybrid Bermuda sod could effectively eliminate synthetic herbicide use while maintaining a high-quality sports field through mechanical and organic methods over a multi-year period.
Based on the data gathered from the Buffalo Hills Park pilot program, the Committee determined that a proactive, infrastructure-based approach is the safest and most effective way to eliminate synthetic chemical inputs while preserving athletic field quality. Transitioning from the localized pilot to a formal, citywide program would allow the City to systematically expand these organic maintenance practices, support public health, and provide consistent playing conditions across all municipal sports fields.
To maintain the high standard of playability and safety required for local sports user groups without relying on synthetic chemical weed suppression, the Athletic Field Sod Management Program, would establish a proactive, infrastructure-based centered on a rotational sod replacement cycle. Under this model, the City’s athletic fields would be systematically stripped, leveled, and re-sodded every three to five years, consistent with the natural deterioration and useful life of a high-quality athletic turf. Between replacement cycles, any weeds would be managed exclusively through non-synthetic methods, including mechanical removal and organic turf treatment, to maintain safe, consistent, and high-quality playing surfaces.
The City maintains approximately 1.9 million square feet of athletic field turf, and staff estimates the comprehensive cost to remove old turf, prepare the underlying surface, and install new, high-grade sod at $1.75 per square foot. Should the City Council approve the program, staff is requesting a formal budget amendment of $1,250,000 which includes provisions for a specialized consultant inspector to provide dedicated project management and quality control support to ensure the on-call landscape contractors meet exact performance specifications.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of Budget Amendment No. 27-013 will transfer $500,000 in existing General Fund appropriations to the Parks Division’s Services Contract account, 0108531-811017-AFSOD, and appropriate $750,000 from the Parks & Community Centers Fund’s unappropriated fund balance, for a total funding amount of $1,250,000. The funds would be used to support an enhanced rotational turf management program, including athletic field sod removal and replacement, as well as consultant services for program implementation and management.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Staff recommends the City Council find this action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
NOTICING:
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
ATTACHMENT:
Attachment A – Budget Amendment
Attachment B – Program Overview
Athletic Field Sod Management Program
August 25, 2026
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