Newton Recreation Commission
2 Town Hall Road, Newton, NH 03858
Tel: 382-4405 ext. 13 * Fax 382-9140
NEWTON RECREATION COMMISSION
Minutes for Monday January 5, 2015 at 7:00PM
Call to Order: Chairperson Annie Collyer called the meeting to order at 7:04 PM on Monday, January 5, 2015.
In Attendance: Sue Milner, Steve St. Cyr, Selectman Ex-Officio Matt Burrill and Chairperson and Secretary Annie Collyer
Introduction of Guests: Angela McVey, Melissa Carter, Amanda McVey, Erica Delaney and Mahayla Normandie
Vote to accept minutes of December 8, 2014: Milner made a motion, seconded by Selectman Burrill, to accept the minutes of December 8, 2014 as written. The motion passed unanimously.
Treasurer's Report: There was no treasurer's report. There will be a year-end accounting for the next meeting, including the encumbrances granted by the Board of Selectmen.
Discussions:
Trail Update from Girl Scouts, High School: The Girl Scouts have walked the trails with a Backpacker Lite application and have made a map with pictures and topographical detail They will contact Cathy Surrette and her husband Kevin, who have been maintaining the trails for years, to walk the trails with them. The map they developed does not match the map Surrette has supplied, and the Scouts want to make an accurate one.
Collyer said that JohnHenry has been working on the trail signs and blazes for the trails under the purview of the Recreation Commission. The Scouts will give their accurate map to JohnHenry to make a permanent map to be posted at Greenie Park, and they will give it to Recreation to post on the town website as well. Scout Leader McVey said that the Scouts are expanding their task to include mapping trails at the Middle School, and Collyer suggested that they contact the Conservation Commission about the trails at Busch Farms as well.
The goal is to have the trail maps completed and the trails marked by Earth Day. The Scouts are considering some sort of introduction of the trails to the town, perhaps with a scavenger hunt. Collyer stated that Recreation can most likely find some money in the budget for prizes for a scavenger hunt.
The Scouts are also looking into ways to replace the benches at the Greenie Park trails.
Security Cameras: Collyer updated the Commission with her matching of the bids from both vendors preferred by the Commission in December , Tavares and Security Team LLC, and found that the bids were for identical parameters. She asked Security Team to include heat/cool boxes for each location in its bids so that everything would be apples to apples. When Collyer presented the bids to the Board of Selectman, asking them to choose between Tavares and Security Team, the bids were identical as to equipment and installation, and Security Team's bids for both locations was lower. In addition, Security Team is already a vendor for the
town for its cameras at the police barracks and at the transfer station. The Board voted to accept the bids from Security Team LLC for the camera installations at Greenie Park and at the Town Beach, and to encumber the funds from the 2014 operating budget for the installations. In addition, the Board accepted the bid from Northeast to trench at Greenie Park for the installation and also encumbered those funds.
Greenie Park Plans Update : St. Cyr has begun to accumulate information on what equipment is at Greenie now, what equipment Mike Pivera was able to pick up and store for future town use from Amesbury, and how it can best be placed with appropriate fall zones. Collyer mentioned that the cost of excavation, placing and providing fall zones for the equipment will have to come from a future warrant article, unless the Revolving Fund grows through donations and fees.
Vacation Plans - Chaperone: Milner reported that there were about 50-55 people at the Roller Skating event in December. The times were erroneously publicized as 5:30-7:30, when the reservation was for 5-7. This was unfortunate, and Burrill pointed out that, in the future should a situation arise where the Recreation Commission is left with an event set up by a former member, every effort should be made to double-check every detail prior to holding the event. Milner pointed out that the event was advertised way back in the fall this time, and every other advertising built off the original one. Milner suggested that the
Commission establish a policy of bringing all publicity to meetings prior to release where possible.
Plans for the February and Spring breaks were discussed. St. Cyr will be available to chaperone over the February break. Milner has looked into ice skating possibilities, but hockey takes up most of the ice time, so there are few slots available until April. In the past, April ice skating was poorly attended. Collyer pointed out that baseball and other activities start up around the April break, so perhaps it would be best to concentrate on an event in February. Burrill made a motion, seconded by Milner, that the Commission authorize Collyer to set up a snowtubing event at Amesbury Sports Park in February for up to $700, and if not feasible to set up a roller skating event over the February break. Collyer mentioned that any event costing over $400
will have to go to the Board of Selectmen for approval. The motion passed unanimously.
Other Business :
Selectman Burrill made a motion that the Recreation Commission take the steps necessary to change our membership to 5, with a quorum of 3, and allow for up to 3 alternate members. The motion was seconded by Collyer. Burrill noted that it is probable that this will not come before the Board of Selectmen until April after the elections in March due to the heavy agendas between now and then. The motion passed unanimously. Collyer stated that until that point, unless we add a new member, we will have to operate with a phone connection on an emergency basis during March and early April due to her vacation plans.
Selectman Burrill suggested that the Commission work with Conservation to put on 2-3 events for Earth Day this year. Earth Day is April 22, midweek. We will need to check the baseball schedule to try to avoid conflicts. Collyer will send an email to Peter Mears and Tricia McCarthy at Conservation, to invite them to attend our February 2 meeting, so that we can plan for Earth Day with them. In addition, Office Manager Mary Winglass has some ideas for Earth Day.
Beach Rules: The rules already proposed by the Commission, to require use permitting for non-residents, and to post Beach Closed signage during winter have not yet been heard in a public hearing, or been subsequently addressed by the Board of Selectmen. Burrill pointed out that the earliest such a hearing can occur is April. Burrill requested that letters notifying potentially affected parties, such as the Campgrounds, the Early Learning Center and the Fish and Game Club be notified by mail prior to such a hearing. Once the meeting date is set, the Commission will ask Winglass to send out those notifications.
Burrill made a motion, seconded by St. Cyr, that Recreation send a thank you letter to Axis Communications for their donation of 8 security cameras to the town for use at Greenie Park and at the Town Beach. The motion passed unanimously.
Burrill made a motion, seconded by Milner, that Recreation send a thank you letter to Ravensberger for their donation of $500 to be deposited in the Revolving Fund for future improvements to Greenie Park. The motion passed unanimously.
Burrill offered to write up something for the awards presentations to Ray Thayer and to Mary Allen at the Deliberative Session on January 31. He will have Winglass officially invite both recipients.
The following items will be discussed at the February 2 meeting: Earth Day, Easter Egg Hunt (Heather Given Bell contact person), Memorial Day and Town Day.
Correspondence : none
Announcements: none
Adjournment : Burrill made a motion, seconded by Milner, to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously, and the meeting was adjourned at 8:24 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Annie Collyer,
Secretary
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