Minutes of the Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Present: Michael Arbour (Chairman), Peter Beaupre, Jr., Sara Szado
Also Present: Tim Pascale, Director/Program Coordinator, Jeannie Guertin, Secretary/Clerk
Michael Arbour called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m.
Peter Beaupre made a motion to nominate Mike Arbour as Chair; Sara seconded. All in favor, and the motion passed.
Mike recently attended a PTSA function at River Hollow Family Golf Center. The owner approached Mike and wanted to know if Parks and Rec could utilize field space on the property. The land is higher than the golf area, so it won’t get as wet as much as the other areas. She talked about putting in power for batting cages. We may need a Certificate of Insurance like we do for the MDC field. Peter likes the idea of using the field, but wants to see what they’re doing to make it worthwhile. Nets for baseball cages are still around, but we lost a few poles. There are still batting cages at Constantino Field. Tim and the commissioners will look at the site before the next meeting and invite the owner in to the next meeting to discuss
further.
Mike wanted to propose a wooden bat fall league to be run by the Parks and Rec for the 8-10 and 10-12 age groups. Mike talked to every coach he umpired for in Monson, Palmer, and Ware about interest in participating. Times are changing and he doesn’t think it’s that costly to run a wooden bat league. We would have to use a RIF ball. Kids will have the opportunity learn how the sport was played. It would possibly turn into a spring league. Sara was concerned if there were enough kids to play in the fall. Springfield is the only place that has a wooden bat league. Mike will get ahold of Gary Webber from Palmer and other baseball contacts from other towns. Sara suggested it be run like summer
tournaments, where teams bring their own balls. The field usage fee would have to increase due to the number of games played. It was suggested a $300 field usage fee for the season is reasonable. The games would run on the weekends. By the July meeting Mike will have confirmation of interest from other towns.
Mike would like the Department to have a smaller set of mowers for our baseball fields, so the bigger ones aren’t tracked through the fields. Peter asked if we are in need of purchasing new mowers. One is three years old, and was replaced after the tornado, and the other one is 7 or 8 years old. Tim thinks a 30”-33” will be needed with the landscaping plan for the new town offices. Peter would like to see a mower that’s not a “zero turn” mower, but a more controlled speed that you turn on your own. There’s also less maintenance. Mike wants to have a mower that is kept at the baseball fields. There is concern about who would be using the mowers and liability. A walk behind mower purchased for the new town
offices will need to wait until construction and landscaping is complete. A second one for baseball fields is a concern due to liability.
An Parks & Rec employee operating a Dixie Chopper mower fell into the brook at the Conant Dam. It will cost $1,400 to fix. The insurance deductible is $1,000. Pete Lloyd pulled it the mower out of the water. Fortunately, the employee was not seriously injured. Tim and the Town Administrator feels there should be a chain link fence at that area. The other Dixie Chopper’s motor is blown, and it will cost $3,200 to repair. The older John Deere mower is now running and being used. An ambulance should be called if any accident happens again, no matter how minor. Tim talked to Steve Gordon about this.
Peter would like to see us do some type of fencing in the outfield at Flynt Park. Mike said it’s damaged every time there is fencing installed there. Right field juts out past the first base line and cars, parents, and kids are there and encroach into the field and a barrier should be there to block it. Peter suggested a snow fence or something similar. Tim will see what he has available, or purchase some kind of barrier to place there.
He asked about the summer tennis camp, and it is full. We have four kids in each time slot. The program runs Monday, June 30 through Thursday, July 3, with two time slots, 3:00-4:00 p.m. and 4:00-5:00 p.m.
The USTA 10 and Under workshop scheduled for June 28 only has three participants signed up.
Peter asked if we should start renting out the tennis courts for different purposes. He is thinking of teaching soccer to young kids with soccer tennis. Can he put a sign there that says it’s reserved? Maybe we should have a policy and form to fill out if someone wants to reserve the court, and you limit “reservations” to specific days (i.e., Tuesdays and Thursdays). Tim will look into purchasing a display board to store reservation notices and announcements.
Peter is in the process of having the Varsity Girls and Boys soccer teams and getting them more involved in our instructional soccer program. He’s talking to Jen Gouvin about it, as she is the new Athletic Director. Peter feels each sport’s Varsity coaches and players need to be involved with the developmental sports. It can’t be mandatory but the coaches need to be on board. It could be community service. Most of the coaches do not have an interest. There could be more participation with the younger children during Varsity games. There needs to be direction from the Athletic Director to the coaches. Jen will be invited to one of our meetings to discuss this.
Sara wanted to know the communication between Parks & Rec and the school. For example, there was a tournament game at Quarry Hill Community School on the same day as the school’s field day. She was there and it was chaos. Sara Shaw did not know there was a field day on the day the game was scheduled. The field looked bad when the visiting team arrived. Field day parents had driven on the field and there was trash on the field. There has been inconsistent communication as to game schedules between the school and the Parks & Rec Department. This can be discussed with Jen Gouvin when she comes to our meeting.
We are losing the Pool Party Room because the Transportation Department is going to move out of the Hillside Building and into Quarry Hill in the room we utilize for our pool parties. It was the ideal location for parties and storing pool supplies. It will also take away the space for the pool Boosters’ concession sales. We may have to resort to using the teacher’s lounge and cafeteria again.
Peter made a motion to approve the May minutes; Mike seconded. All in favor, and the motion passed.
Next meeting is Wednesday, July 23, at 6:00 p.m.
Meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeannie Guertin
Secretary/Clerk
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