Parks and Recreation Memorial Gifts Ad Hoc Committee Meeting
Tuesday, April 9, 2013; 5:00 PM, Conference Room, Town Hall South
Present: Rich Boritiz, Jan Brookes, Maureen Crick Owen, Amy Mangold
Also present: Elizabeth Rallo and Tom Kelleher
Director Mangold introduced Elizabeth Rallo and Tom Kelleher, employees of General Electric. Ms. Rallo and Mr. Kelleher explained that they have been loaned by GE to the town of Newtown for a year to help the town manage the influx of donations. They will help the town create a transparent structure for the current donations and those that might be received in the future.
Ms. Rallo will oversee the Aid Matrix program, help the town create a donation policy, and coordinate this policy within the larger town framework. She is also working with the First Selectman and a donor coordination committee. In addition, she will be talking with people who want to do events as fundraisers.
Mr. Kelleher will organize information around gift giving. He will create a website to which people who want to donate money can go for information.
Director Mangold gave Ms. Rallo and Mr. Kelleher background on the purpose of the committee. She explained that the committee has created a donation policy and form that is now in use. The commission wrote a naming policy. She will forward copies of both policies to Ms. Rallo.
Mrs. Owen explained how she has processed donations of money and events already given to P & R. Ms. Rallo will find someone from GE to finish loading the remaining unprocessed donations to P & R onto Aid Matrix.. Mrs. Owen will email Ms. Rallo the name of the Columbine P & R Director at the time of the shooting. She commented that because this man was the head of the Columbine Memorial Committee, his input might be helpful.
Mr. Kelleher asked how the department has processed offers of donations of events and services. Mr. Boritz explained the typical questions he asks potential donors. Mr. Kelleher suggested that it might be helpful to create a script of questions. This script should be reflected in an Events Request Form that donors could find on-line. Ms. Rallo suggested that it would be helpful to have a policy and procedure to which potential donors of events can refer.
Director Mangold commented that the town and department can’t handle any more free events. She said that the First Selectman wants a fee tied to each event. In addition, Mrs. Llodra doesn’t want special events to displace our regular sports teams.
Ms. Rallo said that she would put together an Events Policy and Events Request Form for the committee’s and the commission’s review.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Jan Brookes – Committee Secretary
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