Minutes of the Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Present: Michael Arbour, Steve O’Shea and Steve Slozak
Also Present: Timothy Pascale, Director; Jeannie Guertin, Secretary/Clerk; Liz Manley, Pool Director; Dee Scott, Pool Sub-Committee Member
Steve O’Shea called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. Steve Slozak made a motion to accept the September minutes and Mike seconded. Steve and Mike voted in favor and the motion passed.
Liz Manley and Dee Scott were present to discuss the future of the Quarry Hill Pool with the Commission. The school has charged the Parks and Rec Department $21,000 over 7 months for use of the Quarry Hill Pool. This is billed in 7 increments of $3,000. As of now, there are two outstanding bills from May and June for $3,000, and we expect to get another bill for $3,000 soon (around November-December). This means we owe the school department $6,000 and there is not enough money in the pool’s revolving fund to cover this. Tim and Liz recall that at a meeting last year the Dolphins Boosters committed to contributing $10,000 per year towards the expense of the pool. There were no minutes taken at that meeting, therefore, there is no written record of what was promised. It
was felt that $10,000 was a huge amount of money to raise each year, and it was Dee’s recollection that the $10,000 amount was intended as a one-time donation. The fact remains that there is an outstanding amount of $6,000 due to the school.
Dee and Liz felt that the school department was to relook at the numbers and come up with a more reasonable amount for the use of the pool, especially since there was a submeter installed in August. The purpose of the submeter is to better determine the amount of electricity generated by the pool. Prior to that the electricity used by the pool was included in the total amount generated by the entire school.
It was agreed that the pool is in a crisis situation. A meeting will be scheduled with the Pool Sub-Committee, the Dolphins Boosters and the school with the purpose of determining a more realistic amount that the Parks and Rec can pay the school for the use of the pool. It is time to renegotiate, primarily due to the facts that the school was supposed to relook at this amount within the last several months and there is now a submeter installed. It should also be noted that while the school is charging $21,000 for the use of the pool, the pool has not been maintained properly and there are still several issues that have not been dealt with. Once that group meets they will attend the next Parks and Rec Commission Meeting. The next Parks and Rec Commission meeting was scheduled for Tuesday,
November 16, at 6:30 p.m. Steve O’Shea made a motion not to pay the bills totaling $6,000 until the Pool Sub-Committee meets with the Boosters and the school and a decision is made as to a more realistic amount to charge the Parks and Rec. Mike seconded; all in favor and the motion passed.
The Commission reviewed the revised Application for Field Use. Steve O’Shea made a motion to approve the revised Application for Field Use and Steve Slozak seconded. All in favor and the motion passed.
A future producer/director for Monson Summer Theatre was discussed. There should be discussion with the next producer/director as to the financial concerns, such as selling more tickets to generate more revenue. The Commission felt it would be fair to publicly post for the position of producer/director for next summer. This should be done sometime around December or January. Erin Greene, who directed last summer’s production, should be made aware that the position will be posted and she is more than welcome to apply if she’s interested. The Parks and Rec is required to post for any paid position and this position would fall in that category. We will research what other local community theatre groups are paying for similar positions and then determine an amount that Summer
Theatre can afford to pay. Steve Slozak made a motion to post for the position of producer/director of Monson Summer Theatre and Steve O’Shea seconded. Tim will provide a stipend amount for that position before it’s posted. All in favor and motion passed.
The Commission discussed whether or not to start a Parks and Rec lacrosse program. Monson Lacrosse Association has been running lacrosse and had over 150 players last year. The high school will now have a varsity team for boys and girls, and it might make sense to support that by having a lacrosse program through Parks and Rec. The program would have to be funded through registration fees. It was agreed that if Monson Lacrosse is looking for help and would like the Parks and Rec to take over this program that they should approach the Parks and Rec Commission. The lacrosse subject will be tabled until that happens.
Varsity Baseball Coach Dismukes would like to spread weed killer on the warning track of the baseball field. After the winter the weeds will be dead, so it would be best to put down the weed killer in the spring. A granular weed killer should be used and should be spread with a drop spreader. Tim will e-mail Steve O’Shea the name of the weed killer that they should use.
The prioritization and completion of projects were discussed. Steve O’Shea would like a more specific prioritization of projects that are pending so we can start completing them one by one. The reason that there are projects pending and can’t be completed is because of lack of money to do so. We have had concrete numbers for some projects, but as time goes by those numbers are going up. The smaller projects are ones we should be completing and that would show that we are making progress.
Gretchen Neggers is completing a leadership program with the MIIA, and as part of that program she is working with some town departments. She is choosing to work with departments that she knows the least about. She has worked with the Senior Center and would like to spend three hours working with Steve Gordon. She will be doing this on Tuesday, October 26.
The status of the light poles at Granite Valley was discussed. Phil Murray, Junior Varsity Softball coach, would like to have lights installed at the Quarry Hill softball field that his team uses. He has asked permission to use the light poles in question. The light poles are not appropriate for lighting a soccer field, but they are appropriate for a softball/baseball diamond. It was noted that perhaps the 8-10 baseball teams could use that field for night games, and may even have playoffs there. If they did use that field for night games, consideration would have to made as to how much would have be paid for the electricity used for each night and to whom it would be paid. Steve O’Shea made a motion to donate the light poles to Monson High School for the use of lighting at
the JV softball field with the stipulation that they by used in one calendar year, and Mike seconded. All in favor and the motion passed.
Spring soccer was discussed relative to availability of fields. Lower Rogers field needs to be redone. This would mean that there would be no home games for one season. If planting is done in the spring, there could be no play in the fall. If this happens, the Arbours (Pioneer Valley Soccer) will have to be told.
The Skate Park had to be closed due to repairs. Also, while the gate was locked someone tried to open the gate and damaged the lock and gate. Steve Slozak purchased some hinges and repaired the gate, and a new lock was purchased. Steve Muirhead and Pam West volunteered to fix the ramp repairs and the Skate Park has been reopened.
Letters were sent out with the results of 8-10 Tri Town baseball evaluations. We have three people who have stepped forward to assist coach. Letters also went out with results of 10-12 Tri Town evaluations and Chris Tranghese and Ed Yesu will co-coach that team.
Tim has proposed to Wilbraham and Hampden that a 10-12 rec league be established. Tri Town has mandated that every town have an A division team, which we will have. We want to offer rec baseball to those who did not make the 10-12 Tri Town team or would rather play rec. The towns were agreeable to this, and East Longmeadow may also be interested in joining with a 10-12 rec team. Steve Slozak made a motion for Monson Parks and Rec to join the 10-12 rec baseball league in the spring of 2011, and evaluate the decision after the season is over. Steve O’Shea seconded; all in favor and the motion passed.
Steve Slozak made a motion to adjourn at 8:30 p.m., and Steve O’Shea seconded. All in favor; meeting adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeannie Guertin
Secretary/Clerk
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