Sunapee Recreation Committee
Meeting minutes
October 9, 2012
Meeting called to order at 6:47 pm
Members in attendance: Patricia Halpin, Craig Heino, Matt McNally, Maria Faire, Paul Skarin. Brian Emery present but not sworn in by Town Clerk.
Minutes of the September meeting were reviewed and accepted with minor changes.
Budget
Scott Blewitt gave an update on the budget. There is currently about $11,000 remaining in the budget, slightly less than last year at this time. This is due to good weather and low bacteria counts at Dewey beach this summer which allowed the beach to stay open. This raised the amount of salaries for staff. Scott believes it will all balance out by the end of the year.
Christmas in the Harbor
Scott Blewitt and Rhonda Gurney met with Donna Nashawaty to review issues of liability for the committee or town related to the celebration. The fire department needs to vote to accept liability for the fire. Also the Selectmen will be made aware of the silent auction to be sure they have no concerns about this event. These changes are made necessary because the Rec. committee has taken over responsibility for the celebration from the chamber of commerce.
Baseball field maintenance
The committee discussed the possibility/cost to have a grass infield on the Dewey baseball field. There was concern that different age groups have different field needs and this would need to be considered before any changes. There was discussion about having the fields brushed before winter. This led to talk of the possibility of the committee buying the needed equipment to do the maintenance, rather than hiring someone else. There is a piece of equipment at the field, but it would require a tractor to run it.
Rec. department email list
Next there were questions about the Rec. department email list, who maintains it and how it can be used. Scott has been building the list for 8 years and is often approached to post messages. There is not currently a policy for how the list can be used. This led to discussion that the committee has no policies or procedures in writing, other than some general town policies that would apply.
Policy Sub-committee
Maria made a motion to form a sub-committee to look at potential policies, procedures and a mission statement. Motion seconded and passed 5-0. Matt agreed to join Maria on the sub-committee and Scott will provide samples from other local towns.
Recreation news
Guest John Augustine inquired about the “Recreation News” emails that are sent by the town. Paul Skarin will look into who is in charge of this mailing list and how messages are sent.
Mount Royal / Dewey property field
Scott Blewitt and Donna Nashawaty (Town Manager) met with representatives of Mount Royal Academy to discuss the possibility of collaborating to build another sports field. The school has a donor who is willing to pay the cost, they are asking the town to allow the project to go forward on the Dewey property on the north side of Route 11 near the school. This is a complex issue and will require the support of not only the Rec. committee but also selectman and conservation commission. Paul Skarin shared that the School Board is also looking at options for additional sports fields. The committee feels there needs to be a meeting with all concerned town officials and Mount Royal to discuss this issue further.
Paul Skarin made motion to adjourn at 7:59 pm. Seconded by Craig. Approved 5-0
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