Present:
Susan Novak
Jennifer Collard
Michele Fredette
Pam Chenevert
Katelyn Wojnarwicz
Beth Vargas
Wednesday October 28, 2015
Rutland Recreation Committee
250 Main Street
Rutland, MA 01543
Telephone: 508-886-0048
Absent:
Robin Monahan
Kristin Holdom
Others Present:
Skip
Margaret Nartowicz
• Called to order at 7:04 pm
• Previous meeting minutes.
o Pam feels that Rutland Recreation can't afford to do the Skate Day at $450 and
wants that noted in the meeting minutes.
o Michele Fredette's name needs to be added to those in attendance.
o Motion made to approve previous meeting minutes with the two changes. All in
favor.
Open Session:
New Business:
• New chairperson of the recreation committee needs to be chosen.
o Table it until the next meeting because two members are absent.
• Recreation director update
o Pool seems to have a new bill each day.
o Next session of UTLT is updated.
o Adding Saturdays and Sundays to adult fitness classes.
• Fitness/nutrition class will be added during the holiday time. There is a
contact in town who knows others who may be able to teach these
classes if she is not able to do it.
o Basketball: $6000 from basketball sign up day and another $1000 from mail in
registrations has been deposited.
• Registration is over on November 11 with the current fee. Tryouts for
middle school are Nov. 24/25th so there may be additional kids
registering later at the higher fee rate.
• We can modify the date the basketball registration fee will go up due to it
being on a holiday.
• Signups are advertised on cable, Facebook, a blog, the town website,
school flyers at Glenwood, and a digital flyer at Naquag.
• For basketball we will pay $10,000 for custodians, $6000 referees, $500
coordinator, $1,4000 for T-shirts
o Pool expenses continue to be a concern.
• At the Easter Egg Hunt we presell pool passes and swim lessons
• The money spent on pool for water, electricity, pool cover, or the capital
expenses are not included on the pool fee.
• Money earned from the pool passes only covered the pool expenses until
July.
• DPW did NOT pay for the pool cover. It cost $3200 paid for by Rec.
o Pam attended the RDIC meeting with representatives from baseball and soccer.
Another person was there with an idea for an indoor soccer complex
• Field maintenance is done by the DPW. Bylaws state that the DPW is to
maintain any and all fields
o Pam has written grants for summer fun, science tellers, field trips, and music for
seniors and kids.
o All upcoming events are on the town website and sent out by the system that is
free to send out information. Information is sent to schools as well.
• Safe Place update
o Will soon change some staff schedules to accommodate the numbers of
students.
o An increase in the numbers of kindergarteners
o Mornings are very busy while afternoons are not
• Expectations of Directors and Office Hours
o The Rec. Director has set hours. They are posted online and on the door. They do
change if she has to go to Glenwood or stop by a program
o She has never worked less than 19 hours and can't increase to 20 hours.
o Margaret suggests that the Rec. Director set up hours open to the public each
week. These need to be set and consistent. Residents would know that staff are
in the office between this and that time. The director can then have additional
office hours with the door closed that are not open to the public. This will allow
her to be more productive without a lot of interruptions. This will give her more
flexibility to go to meetings, update website, and respond to emails or phone
calls.
• Hold them on Tuesdays evenings the when building is open until 7 to
accommodate the residents who work out of town and can't be in
between the hours of 9 and 3. The other time could be Thursday
mornings.
• Set aside two four hour blocks of time. This will leave 11 hours of flexible
hours work with the door closed.
o Margaret shared a document that can be used to assess performance. It is a list
of performance assessment guidelines that have been adopted by the board of
selectmen. It allows an employee to do a self-evaluation of their own
accomplishments and allows the supervisor and employee to meet and explore
performance and goals for the coming year. It gives steps for assessing
performance and creates objectives. This will be used with department heads
and with their employees in the town.
• Member of the committee would be a designee-would have to be done
at a meeting-can't deliberate outside of meeting-designate a member
who will go through the process with Margaret.
• Something similar could be developed for pool employees, summer fun,
afterschool staff, etc.
• A designee from the rec. committee could work with Margaret on this to
help assess the Rec. Director's performance
• Financial Updates
o Finance committee is very concerned that the pool cover was supposed to be
paid for by DPW. Rec. paid it up front.
o In order to fix the basketball court the money needs to come from the Capital
Improvement Planning Committee as a capital project.
o For the next year, do not reauthorize the 53d. The Rec. Committee should stick
with the 53El/2 at the spring town meeting so money continues revolving and
any surplus does not need to go back to the town. Can't pay more than 19 hours
for the Rec. Director
• Upcoming Events Update
o Father/Daughter Dance: Star Studded Event. Red carpet. Strobe light. Look for
non-committee member to help out. Work together to plan it.
o Mother/Son Dance: Decades dance with a dance contest. Michelle's husband
can work on putting together the music. K-5 age group. Fun songs Provide
cookies, water, and fruit. Pictures with a high school volunteer instead of Collard
Photography or set up a backdrop from families to then take their own pictures
with their cell phones.
• Next agenda:
o Election of a new Recreation Committee Chairperson
o Find a designee for the performance evaluation system
o Review Summer Fun Numbers
o Possibly changing the meeting day/time to accommodate members
o Next meeting will be November 11
Meeting Adjourned at 8:25 PM
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