TOWN OF SOUTH WINDSOR
MINUTES
TOWN COUNCIL WORK SESSION
COUNCIL CHAMBERS OCTOBER 17, 2005
SOUTH WINDSOR TOWN HALL TIME: 7:00 P.M.
1. Call Meeting to Order
Mayor Havens called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m
2. Roll Call
Members Present: Mayor Edward Havens
Deputy Mayor John Pelkey
Councillor Thomas Delnicki
Councillor Deborah Fine
Councillor Elizabeth Pendleton
Councillor Cary Prague
Councillor Matthew Streeter
Councillor Roseann Williams
Councillor Keith Yagaloff
Also Present: Town Manager Matthew B. Galligan
Town Attorney Barry Guliano
3. Public Participation –
Mr. Thomas Fleury from Executive Management and Business Care spoke on behalf of the South Windsor Chamber of Commerce specifically, as Chair to the committee overseeing the “Booming Business Expo” at Maneeley’s Banquet Facility on Thursday, November 3rd. He discussed the Expo and invited town businesses and residents to attend. He thanked a number of people and thanked the Council for allowing him to speak.
4. Communications – None
5. Town Manager’s Report – None
6. Items for Discussion:
a. Boundless Playground
Jeffrey Doolittle, Town Engineer updated the Council on the program. He distributed handouts, which are attached as Exhibit A and Exhibit B. He explained that the Town hired Boundless Playground to design a handicap accessible playground to be constructed at Nevers Road Park. He showed an aerial photograph that illustrated where the playground will be constructed.
6. a. (Continued)
Mr. Doolittle explained that the playground consists of three main areas, ALPHA, BETA, and GAMMA, which are geared towards different age groups and discussed in attached Exhibit B.
Mr. Doolittle continued to explain that there will be a walking trail, a retaining wall that will be part of the structure, landscaping, storm drainage, and small addition to the parking area, all of which are discussed in attached Exhibit A.
Boundless Playground made some modifications to the plan in terms of the play structures. Mr. Doolittle said that Design Professionals is working on incorporated those changes into the plan and finalizing the plans. He explained that once that is done, they will be able to finalize their schedule.
Mr. Doolittle reviewed the draft schedule with the Council, which is attached as page two of Exhibit A. Those 37 components that the project is currently broken down into can be done by contractors and volunteers. He said that they are currently looking for fill for the site, grading the site, and possibly starting some utilities. In the spring and summer they will be continuing with the construction of the wall, finished grading of the site, constructing the playground, doing landscaping, and expanding the parking area. He explained that the schedule is a work in progress because they are still looking for donations.
Mr. Doolittle said that the plan is to start construction this fall and complete construction in the fall of 2006.
The Boundless Playground Committee and the South Windsor Community Foundation are still seeking donations.
Mr. Doolittle explained that the second page of Exhibit B is a breakdown of the estimated costs for the playground and the amounts collected to date by the different organizations, the Boundless Playground Committee, the South Windsor Community Foundation, and some money from the Town.
Town Manager Galligan updated the Council by informing them that like any other project in the past, the Town accepts the donations that people want to give, but once the project is completed it will be officially taken over by the Town and the Town Staff will maintain it and the insurance carriers will come out and inspect it.
Town Manager Galligan said that there has been a lot of interest from contractors to donate, which is the reason why they are trying to move forward this fall. He said that about $50,000 to $60,000 of the project is for fill. Money can be saved by using fill that is available now. He said that a lot
6. a. (Continued)
of the costs are not associated with the playground itself, but more with the site. Town Manager Galligan named a few people that are willing to donate specific materials. He explained that when you are working with volunteers, it is important to try and work with their schedules.
Town Manager Galligan thanked the staff and the committee for taking this project on.
Deputy Mayor Pelkey discussed the difference between referring to this project as a playground versus a playscape. He said that from the beginning this should have been referred to as a park within a park because of its unique features. One of the contributions that they received was a sculpture for the entrance way from Karen Rossi, a well-known international artist that grew up in South Windsor.
Deputy Mayor Pelkey said that he asked the Boundless Playground Committee about how this playground fits in with other playgrounds across the country. He said that the playground equipment price falls within the range of an average price that a playground would be. The site work varies across the country depending upon where it is placed. This playground is not at the high end nor the low end, it is in the medium to higher range on the site work.
Deputy Mayor Pelkey explained that the concept of tucking it up against the hillside at the Community Center, not only for having bathrooms nearby, having program within the Community Center for small children, but also for having room for any future expansion of the grass area in the front, if the Town should ever want to build another Town building or parking lot. He said that they utilized a piece of land that really had no other value than utilizing it for the playground.
Deputy Mayor Pelkey also explained that having it on a hillside helps with the construction of handicap ramps. He emphasized that the whole concept behind this is that it is a community built project. There has been a lot of outreach to community groups and a lot of support from them, ranging from donations of $10 to $20,000. There have also been a lot of children in Town that have been actively involved.
Mayor Havens wanted the public to understand that this work after the initial $70,000, has been all through donations. Town Manager Galligan explained that Town staff is overseeing the project. Mayor Havens encouraged South Windsor to participate and contribute to the project.
7. Executive Session - To discuss Personnel Matters
Councillor Streeter made a motion to adjourn to Executive Session to discuss personnel matters; the motion was duly seconded and approved unanimously.
At 7:45 p.m. the Town Council returned from Executive Session; Mayor Havens recessed the Work Session in order to call a Public Hearing; and reconvened it at 7:50 p.m.
8. Motion to Adjourn
A motion to adjourn was made at approximately 7:55 p.m., was duly seconded and approved unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Vanessa Perry
Assistant to the Clerk of the Council
Attachments (Exhibits A and B)
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