Minutes of the Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Present: Steve O’Shea (Chairman), Steve Slozak, Michael Arbour
Also Present: Tim Pascale, Director/Program Coordinator, Jeannie Guertin, Secretary/Clerk
Steve O’Shea called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Tim updated the Commission on the tornado grant projects. He recently walked Flynt Park and most of the clearing is done. Water bars are being installed to divert run off water. The road that winds up is still being worked on. Other trails are being worked on and there will be another walk through next week. The Selectmen and Gretchen Neggers will be included for the final walk through. They have been stumping and clearing the banks on Upper Rogers field and the bank by the baseball field. The trails will be marked when the project is done. We should look into grants for trails for any other additional work we might want done.
The Eagle Scouts have finished their dugout project at Cushman Field. There are no sides or backs, and maybe a metal roof should be considered to decrease vandalism.
The paving has been done on the tennis courts and the painting will be done in the spring. Tim will find out how much more it would be to paint the lines blue. Lighting the courts through funding of Community Preservation Act monies was discussed. Tim suggested having a grand opening of the tennis courts when all work is completed.
A new kickboard has been installed at Upper Rogers field to replace the one that was lost in the tornado. The Monson Athletic Boosters donated the materials and volunteers did most of the final installment work. The Commission would like to acknowledge this in our newsletter and maybe on article in The Journal.
Regarding the sprinkler (irrigation) project at Constantino Field, we are still waiting on the School Department for approval. All the preliminary work and quotes have been completed.
As a result of the recent Town Meeting the Parks & Rec Department was awarded $35,000 for a new pick-up truck, and $26,000 for two new mowers. We will still keep the old truck since there will still be some use for it. It was suggested that we try to get an extended warrantee for any pick-up truck that we purchase.
We are still looking for a Suburban coach for our 7th/8th grade girls’ basketball team, and a coach for our 7th/8th grade boys’ rec team.
The high school is shutting down the week of Christmas break but we are still going to use the gym even though the heat will be turned down.
The pool is struggling financially, and there is approximately $200 in the revolving fund after paying the October pool bills and payroll. The Dolphins Boosters will be invited to the next meeting to see if they can help out as was discussed at a prior meeting.
Our Treasurer’s office is mandating that we pay officials for basketball after they have refereed a game. We have been issuing checks to coaches for the lump sum of what is to be paid to refs for the season. We can no longer do that, and will have to also stop doing that for baseball/softball and soccer. The boys’ suburban league is saying that we need to pay the refs cash, and that is what other towns are doing. The girls’ suburban ref fees are included in the league fees that we pay. We will have to require that refs fill out a form at the games, and we will submit a bill each week instead of our typical biweekly cycle so the refs can be paid as soon as possible.
The mother of a fourth grade boy, had requested that he be placed on the 3rd/4th grade CYO team so he could be with his friends. The boy is developmentally delayed and Ron Hedspeth, the coach of the CYO team said it was okay and he would give him things to do. Tim said as a person he would have liked to place him with his friends, but as a director he couldn’t do this, especially since the boy didn’t appear for evaluations. Also, Tim has received a complaint from a parent whose son did not make the team that was at evaluations. The boy has attended a practice for a rec team and he is placed on a team with kids that he knows. Tim told the boy’s mother he would discuss this with the Commission. It was the Commission’s feeling that Tim
should make the final decision as to where the boy is placed.
At their December 11 meeting, the Selectmen will decide whether to sign an exemption form for the state ethics commission allowing Tim to coach for the high school. The form needs signatures from the selectmen and the high school athletic director, Sarah Shaw, and Sarah has already signed it. The Commission asked how many hours does it take away from Tim’s job to coach the team, and Tim answered 4-5 hours a week. Tim makes up for any hours away from the job by attending evening meetings and events on the weekend. After discussion, the Commission supported Tim coaching for this high school part time while he is working full time for the Parks & Recreation Department.
There will have to be sign-in and pay sheets for men’s volleyball similar to what is being used for women’s volleyball. We’re being asked to do this for verification purposes.
Three girls signed up for 5th and 6th grade rec basketball. There are too many girls on the CYO team for that age group, so Mike Arbour, who is coaching the 3rd and 4th grade rec team will take the girls on his team if they want to join.
The age requirement for our programs for children in Kindergarten through second grade was discussed, relative to them moving up to the next age group. There have been 4 year olds playing 1st and 2nd grade soccer and there is a safety issue when very young children are being moved up. It was felt that any age can play Instructional soccer since there is no physical contact. Jeannie will check back to see if she can find the Commission’s policy for age requirement, which could date back as far as 2000.
There was an incident where a coach’s wife brought cupcakes for team members of both teams for the last game of the season. She got permission from both teams’ parents to distribute the cupcakes after the game, but the opposing coach denied his players the cupcakes after the game because he said they did not deserve them because they did not play well. Tim will send an e-mail to the coach and his wife to see if she would like to submit a formal complaint via e-mail or a Complaint Form. He will also e-mail the coach who denied his players the cupcakes to let him know the incident was brought to the Commission’s attention.
Mike felt that a coach that acts in this way should not remain in the Rec Department’s coaching system. He made a motion that a disciplinary action be made toward the coach, and he may no longer be able to coach. Steve Slozak seconded the motion.
Steve O’Shea felt he didn’t know enough of the facts to support such a motion. He would like have Tim send an e-mail sent to the woman who offered the cupcakes and see if she can provide information about the incident, explaining that before the Commission move forward with this issue they would need to hear from her. If she does submit a written version of the incident, then an e-mail should be sent to the coaches of the team that did not receive the cupcakes to ask them their views of what happened. After both sides of the story are presented, the Commission can act appropriately. Mike Arbour amended the motion to reflect the above. Steve O’Shea seconded; all in favor and the motion passed.
Tim discussed moving from “T-Ball” to “Instructional Baseball” in the spring. Last season there were children playing Coach Pitch baseball that did not know the basics, such as positions and running the bases. Instructional Baseball would teach the kids the fundamentals of baseball without games, similar to Instructional Soccer and Instructional Basketball.
Personal use of town fields was discussed. There are individuals that are using fields on a regular basis in an organized way that have not filled out permits. They are not paying for the upkeep of the fields and there may be a liability issue if someone is hurt. Tim will ask Gretchen about liability to the Town if someone gets hurt on the fields during an event that is occurring without a permit.
There have been complaints made to Steve Slozak that our storage units have been left open and/or unlocked at the end of the day. Tim will talk to his staff about this.
Mike Arbour talked to Gretchen about increasing Jeannie’s salary. The salary for Jeannie was cut from the budget, so she has been being paid out of the revolving fund. Money from seasonal help will have to be used to pay her, leaving just Tim and Steve to work outside in the spring. Fees may have to be increased as a result.
Steve Slozak made a motion to accept the October 18 minutes. Steve O’Shea seconded; all in favor and the motion passed.
The next meeting date is Thursday, December 19 at 6:30 p.m.
Steve Slozak made a motion to close the meeting at 9:29 p.m. Mike Arbour seconded; all in favor and the motion passed.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeannie Guertin
Secretary/Clerk
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