The primary baseball field at Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex will get a $1.4 million artificial turf in time for next year’s season.

The new playing surface was sought by leaders of Iowa Central Community College who want to make it their team’s home field. But as of Monday’s council meeting it was unclear how much the college would contribute to help pay for the project. Such uncertainty prompted council members Neven Conrad and Lydia Schuur to vote against awarding the contract for the work.

Councilman Dave Flattery said former Iowa Central President Dan Kinney contacted him about a year and a half ago and asked if the city would partner with the college to make the field the home of the Tritons.

The college team currently plays on Ed Barbour Field, which is located in a valley on the north side of the campus.

”They have soil issues on their field, erosion and so forth,” Flattery said.

He said artificial turf cannot be placed on Ed Barbour Field.

”With the field they have, turf companies are saying, can’t do it,” Flattery said.

He said installing artificial turf could help the city attract more baseball tournaments. He said the city could perhaps try to get the state boys baseball tournament once the turf is in place.

”We see some real benefit,” Flattery said.

He said the money for the project would come from a portion of hotel/motel tax revenue already earmarked for the sports complex. The hotel/motel tax is a 7 percent levy added onto lodging bills in the city.

Flattery said the Iowa Central board will make a commitment to the project.

”We certainly are going to partner with you,” Mark Crimmins, the board president, told the council.

Crimmins is the city attorney.

The council voted 4-2 to hire Mid America Golf and Landscape Inc., of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, to install the turf at a cost of $1,411,519.09.

Counclmembers Kim Alstott, Andy Fritz, Terry Moehnke and Flattery voted yes.

Schuur and Conrad voted no.

Conrad said he was ”hesitant to award the contract” because he has questions about the financial commitments for that job and others at the sports complex.

Schuur said she would prefer to have all the expenses and sources of money outlined before voting to award a contract.

Councilman Jeff Halter was absent.

Other bidders for the work were Iowa Athletic Field Construction Co., of Webster City, $1,448,273.50; and Midwest Field Turf, of Denison, $1,453,160.