Minutes
January 8, 2015
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm.
Attendance
Parks & Rec Commissioners: Mike Genest, Joan Gorga, Sam Harding, Peter Lamb, and Isaac Lombard
Recreation Director: Celeste Lunetta
Minutes
The minutes from the December 11, 2014 meeting were approved as written.
Shea Field
Lighting Plans. The letter that we intended to send out to Shea Field neighbors did not go out. We will invite them instead to meet with us for a special presentation and question and answer session on Thursday, January 29. Celeste will aim to send a letter out by January 16, which will include a set of Frequently Asked Questions with answers. Peter and Celeste will prepare the presentation.
Peter suggested that if we do the electrical work ourselves, we should be able to reduce the installation costs by $8,000 to $10,000. Installation materials will cost around $6,000.
Celeste suggested that we could provide introductory Nordic skiing, as well as ice skating, at Shea Field.
ConVal Agreement. We are waiting for David Martz and the School Board to get back to us regarding the draft agreement.
Goodell Park
Eagle Scout Project. Henry Johnson cancelled his proposal because he was out of town.
Memorial Park
Peter Wells/Design. Peter Wells submitted a bill for the first two parts of the park design work. Since we are no longer under the constraints of a January 9 deadline to submit the LWCF grant application (see below), we told Peter Wells that the next part of the design work did not need to be done until March.
Grant Applications. Due to the fact that we are moving ahead with a warrant article to spend most of our capital reserve funds for installing lights at Shea Field, we will not have the required matching funds for the first phase of the proposed Memorial Park improvements. Thus, we are unable to submit the LWCF grant proposal. However, if the Shea Field lights warrant article does not pass, we will have a good start on a grant submission in upcoming years.
We will continue to monitor for HEAL grant requests for proposals.
Sign. Celeste will look into getting a new sign made.
Budget
CIP follow-up. We have not received any news regarding the submitted budgets. The Selectboard Budget Hearing is set for February 9.
Recreation Department
Personnel. Lisa Hennessey will be working as the Rec Program and Office Assistant until the end of February. Celeste is working on a position description that includes working Sundays in the summer as the beach attendant.
Update. Basketball tournaments will take place the first two weeks of February.
Gregg Lake
Sign. Celeste contacted Chip Craig about the broken Plexiglas on the front of the Boat Launch sign. Chip said that Ken Drabble will pull the sign down.
Garbage, dog waste bags. Celeste will check into whether the new maintenance guy knows to empty the garbage cans at the beach. Bags for the empty dog waste bag dispenser can be found in the storage shed at the beach.
Fire & Ice. Members of the Lions Club suggested partnering to put on a Fire & Ice Festival. Suggestions include having a bonfire, serving chili, ice skating, ice fishing, snow sculptures, snowmobile rides, Harris Center animal tracking guide, cross-country skiing. Possible venues would include Gregg Lake, Memorial Park, Shea Field. Since it is really too late to plan and execute it this year, we could begin to build committees to make it happen next year.
Annual Report
Joan supplied a first draft of the Parks & Rec Annual Report. A few amendments were made, and the report was approved for submission.
Town Gym
Shared use. Compliance with carrying gym shoes over from GBS dropped off dramatically after the holidays. A request for the Running Club to use the gym on Tuesday mornings was approved for January, but they have been notified that compliance must improve for approval to continue.
The next regularly scheduled Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting will be held on Thursday, February 12th at 7:00 pm at the Rec Office.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:36 pm.
-Joan Gorga, Chair and Secretary
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