Old Lyme Parks and Recreation Commission
Meeting Minutes
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Present: Don Bugbee (Director), Bob Dunn (Chairman), John Flower (Vice-Chairman), Mary Ellen Garbarino, Tim Gavin, Nigel Logan, Glynn McAraw
Absent: Missy Garvin
Guests:
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Bob Dunn called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – June 2, 2016
Tim Gavin moved and Nigel Logan seconded to accept the minutes of Regular Meeting June 2, 2016. SO VOTED.
3. DIRECTOR’S REPORT – Don Bugbee
PROGRAMS
Don Bugbee reported that the summer programs are running smoothly. The staff includes 25 people at the Day Camp, 10 life guards and 5 parking lot attendants. This is week 3 of the Day Camp and presently there are 215 kids enrolled. The cost per child is $150 and $250 for a family for the entire summer. This works out to about $1 per hour. Don suggested that the Commission consider increasing these fees for next year.
Boys’ Basketball Camp has finished up and the Girls Basketball Camp is next week. There are two Tennis Camps coming up (July 25-29 and August 1-5), Soccer Camp (August 8-12). Girls’ Lacrosse Camp and the Girls’ Softball Camp have been cancelled.
FACILITIES
Hains Park and White Sand Beach are all set with lifeguards and parking attendants.
Town Woods Park looks good and there is very little going on at this time.
Cross Lane courts are all done and look very good. One of the tennis nets is being replaced.
The ADA swing for Town Woods Park was delivered and has not been installed. Don has tried to contact the volunteer group, but will ask Public Works to install the swing.
There was a treatment to kill the weeds in Rogers Lake done on July 5. As a precaution people were not allowed to swim that day at the park. Any questions should be directed to the BOS on this issue.
4. OLD BUSINESS
a. Boathouse Update
Don Bugbee reported that the Boathouse Committee had opened all the bids. The low bidder was Scope Construction Company ($587,000). Bids were reviewed and the low bidder was interviewed. The Committee unanimously voted to recommend to the BOS the low bidder Scope Construction Company with a bid of $587,000. Don Bugbee reported that he had asked at the meeting if there would be a Clerk of the Works for this project, and that it was the consensus of the Boathouse Committee that one would not be needed for a project this small.
The Commission discussed the need for a Clerk of the Works and felt that it would be in the Town’s best interest to have one. All other projects that have been done in the Town have had a Clerk of the Works. The Commission questioned who would be the overseer of the project, including approval of the bills. The Commission will present their concern to the Board of Selectmen and highly suggest that a Clerk of the Works be assigned.
No Bathroom update was given at the Boathouse Committee meeting. John Flower stated that he is close to getting bids from four local builders. Once he has these numbers he will email this information to the Commission members and will present at the next Boathouse Committee meeting.
5. NEW BUSINESS
a. Lease Agreement and Memorandum of Agreement between the Town and Regional District 18
The Lease Agreement and MoA between the Town of Old Lyme and Regional District 18 were read and reviewed with great attention. The Commission drafted their comments on these documents and these are presented in full as an attachment. The Old Lyme PRC does not approve of the currently proposed documents. In addition to the issues highlighted in the proposed LEASE agreement (Exhibit D), similar issues were also identified in several of the other MoA-related documents reviewed.
Summary of Key Issues
The proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), including the proposed LEASE Agreement (Exhibit D), do NOT appear to comply with the “Post Construction Requirements” for DEEP STEAP-funded PUBLIC OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL FACILITY (PORF), and therefore may jeopardize STEAP grant reimbursement of construction costs!
The proposed LEASE agreement does NOT require Region 18 to continue to pay for any structural repairs for the Boathouse or property taxes, as it does now, and as promised to the community.
The Proposed LEASE agreement (section 9a) states that Region 18 will be running a community rowing program for the public under the auspices of the Region 18 lease agreement.
The proposed LEASE agreement makes no mention of use of the Hains Park Boathouse facilities by the Old Lyme Rowing Association (OLRA), which is involved with both the Region 18 High School rowing program and the community rowing program (an Old Lyme Parks and Recreation program), but they are briefly mentioned in the MoA. In none of the proposed documents is there is a description or definition of the roles and responsibilities of the OLRA, nor its relationships (formal or informal) with Region 18, the Town of Old Lyme, and the Old Lyme Parks and Recreation Department and Commission – all of which must be clearly defined and made transparent.
The agreements must also make clear that the Hains Park Docks are owned by the Town and are not being leased to Region 18. The Docks are for use of all visitors to Hains Parks.
The proposed LEASE agreement (MoA and other documents) must also make clear that Region 18, and any of its associates, must abide by all Town rules & regulations and policies for use of Hains Park (similar to other park visitors) which is overseen by the Parks & Recreation Department and the Parks and Recreation Commission. This includes following parking rules and committing to appropriate communication with the Parks & Recreation Director.
The proposed LEASE agreement appears to unnecessarily increase Region 18 control over a portion of real property (land) in Hains Park. Providing Region 18 a lease for a portion of real property in Hains Park made sense in 1988 when Region 18 was constructing a School-owned structure on Town property.
The proposed LEASE agreement appears to require that the Town bear the costs for implementing any future changes to zoning, building and health codes, applicable laws, rules, regulations, etc. – without specifying that this would only apply to those that are required to be implemented by law for a Town-owned PORF – as most are normally only required to be implemented when a significant capital improvement project is already planned to a Town-owned facility, and many are “grandfathered” as pre-existing.
This lease agreement also appears to require the Town bear the full cost of making Hains Park and the Boathouse fully ADA compliant – for both current and future changes to the ADA requirements.
DEEP STEAP Grant funds are for PUBLIC OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL FACILITY (PORF) only.
The DEEP STEAP “Reimbursement Package” for PORF states that STEAP Grant funds cannot be used for school facilities, which is one of the reasons Boathouse ownership needed to be transferred from Region 18 to the Town to allow STEAP funding.
The only “exception” being when the DEEP STEAP-funded PORF is located on SCHOOL-OWNED PROPERTY, in which case the School and Public can share the STEAP-funded facility, but specific times must be agreed and posted as to when the PUBLIC has access to the PORF located on SCHOOL PROPERTY. School construction projects are funded by Bureau of School Construction.
A DEEP STEAP-funded PORF (on Town property) must be available to the public whenever it is open for use, and cannot be reserved for exclusive use by a school (e.g. Region 18).
Mary Ellen Garbarino moved and Tim Gavin seconded to send a copy of the Parks and Recreation Commission’s comments regarding the proposed Lease Agreement and Memorandum of Agreement between the Town of Old Lyme and Regional District 18 relating to the use of Hains Park and the Boathouse to the following people: Board of Selectmen, Members of the Board of Finance, Town Treasurer Tim Griswold, Finance Director Nicole Stajduhar and if necessary to David Stygar of the DEEP. SO VOTED.
The proposed Lease Agreement and Memorandum of Agreement along with this Commission’s comments will be sent to News and Announcements on the Town Website.
b. Copy of current STEAP Personal Services Agreement
The revised STEAP Grant (Appendix A) was reviewed by the Commission and according to the Scope of Work the bathroom facility and pavilion are not included. These projects will be using Town money and therefore do not fall under this STEAP Personal Services Agreement.
c. Other New Business
6. CORRESPONDENCE
7. PUBLIC COMMENT
8. ADJOURNMENT
Glynn McAraw moved and John Flower seconded to adjourn the meeting at 8:27 PM. SO VOTED.
The next meeting of this Commission will be on August 4, 2016 at 7:00 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Ellen Garbarino
Secretary
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