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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-03-11 Recreation Committee Minutes i O Town of Reading ,[ Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: .. . _ �6- ��Ca 2: Z6 Recreation Committee Date: 2020-03-11 Time: 7:00 PM Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Berger Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Session: Open Session Purpose: General Monthly Meeting Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Emily Sisson (M), Michael Coltman (M), Kate Kaminer (M), Rich Hand (M), Eric Gaffen (M), Pat Sheeran (A) Members - Not Present: Mike DiPietro (M), John Parks (M) Others Present: Genevieve Fiorente - Recreation Administrator and liaison to committee Shannon Fratto - Recreation Program Coordinator Vanessa Alvarado - Select Board Liaison Kevin Bohmiller - Director of Community Services Mike Wondolowski - 4 Bartlett Circle - Reading Little League Justin Baskt - 25 Copeland Avenue - Reading Little League Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Genevieve Fiorente, Recreation Administrator Topics of Discussion: M. Coltman opens up the meeting at 7:00pm. R. Hand makes a motion to accept the meeting minutes from the February 19`" meeting. E. Gaffen seconds. K. Kaminer states she would like to make a comment in response to C. Hayes commenting in the last meeting that the extenuating circumstances can differ on opinion. K. Kaminer says that the committee and Recreation Administrator have always been consistent with extenuating circumstances and there shouldn't be any confusion. K. Kaminer also asks V. Alvarado to clarify that in the January meeting her and A. Friedman were also on board with the definitions of extenuating circumstances. V. Alvarado states yes. Committee votes on current motion 5-0. Justin Baskt from Reading Little League explains that they would like to do their Annual Wiffleball Tournament again this year on May 31, 2020 at Memorial Park. He goes on to state that the amplified sound will be from 12pm-6pm and they will start setting up at 9:OOam. E. Sisson makes a motion to accept the amplified sound permit as presented. K. Kaminer seconds. All are in favor 5-0. Page 1 1 K. Kaminer asks about RLL needing the once a week sound permit for announcement at the Tennis court field at Birch Meadow like they did last year? M. Wondolowski answers that they are not presenting that tonight. P. Sheeran asks if there is a rain date. M. Wondolowski says not as of now. M. Wondolowski discusses the next event and amplified sound permit for April 251h, 2020 from 9:00am-6:OOpm for the Reading Little League opening day at the Birch Meadow Complex at Tennis Court Field. P. Sheeran asks if the High School has been notified. M. Wondolowski says yes. G. Fiorente also states that a Civic Function Form is required for the event so all of the town departments will be in the loop on it. E. Sisson asks if there will be amplified sound the whole day. M. Wondolowski states that there will be music and general announcements in between games. E. Sisson makes a motion to approve the amplified sound as presented. R. Hand seconds. Motion passes 5-0. G. Fiorente states that the next topic will be a presentation made by M. Wondolowski from RLL on the projects they would like to donate to the Town. She says that M. Wondolowski is a pleasure to work with. She states that M. Wondolowski is extremely detailed and transparent. M. Wondolowski G. Fiorente asks M. Wondolowski the fee to clean the bathroom weekly. M. Wondolowski states it is $51. S. Fratto asks who is responsible if it were to be broken into. M. Wondolowski states that the RLL will take are of it. V. Alvarado asks if the town uses the snack shack. G. Fiorente and M. Wondolowski both answer no. R. Hand asks about insurance and V. Alvarado asks if someone should ask Town Counsel on where the real responsibility lies if it is unlocked. E. Gaffen states that it is already a possibility now with being left open as the snack shack. G. Fiorente states that she can ask 1. Miller her opinion since she handles a lot of the insurance logistics. K. Kaminer asked if the area is winterized. M. Wondolowski states that the water is turned off every year. P. Sheeran asks if it will be ADA accessible. M. Wondolowski states yes. E. Gaffen asks if any work outside the building needs to be done such as paving. M. Wondolowski states no according to the building permit. E. Gaffen asks if the public will be allowed to use it anytime. M. Wondolowski states that they would open and close it during RLL games/events only. Page 1 2 V. Alvarado asks M. Wondolowski if he would like all the projects lumped together or are they being voted on one by one? M. Wondolowski answers that he would like them done one by one in case there is a no on one and a yes on the other. E. Sisson makes a motion to recommend to the Select Board to approve the gift of the Hunt Park Snack Shack Bathroom to the Town of Reading as presented by Reading Little League. E. Gaffen seconds. Motion passes 5-0. M. Wondolowski goes on to present the next project donation to the Town for renovated dugouts at Hunt Field and new dugouts at the Tennis court field at the Birch Meadow Complex. K. Kaminer asks if there is already fencing up for the players. M. Wondolowski states yes, there are already fences for protection. V. Alvarado asks the anticipated lifespan of a dugout. M. Wondolowski states that he isn't entirely sure but his guess would be at least 2-3 decades. K. Kaminer asks what the cost would be for the dugouts. M. Wondolowski answers that it will be about $2500-3000 a dugout. G. Fiorente states that the dugout project at the Tennis Court Field should be considered with the Birch Meadow Master Plan Conceptual design which they are currently working to update. The committee agrees to wait until the new Conceptual Design is developed and revisit the dugouts there. E. Sisson makes a motion to recommend to the Select Board to accept the gifts from Reading Little League to the Town of Reading for the dugouts at Hunt Park Field and Tennis Court Field at the Birch Meadow Complex with the dugouts a Tennis Court Field being contingent upon the updated Birch Meadow Master Plan Conceptual Design and subsequent review from Town Staff. K. Kaminer seconds. Motion passes 5-0. M. Wondolowski presents the project for infield work at Hunt Park Field which may require more funding by RLL. E. Sisson asks if there are drainage problems on the field. M. Wondolowski says that it is mostly the lips and not the drainage. G. Fiorente asks on who will be maintaining the fields. M. Wondolowski states that Babe Ruth maintains Morton and Readings Little League currently maintains Morton, Tennis Court Field, Hunt and both fields at Joshua Eaton. J. Baskt states that the costs absorbed by the Reading Little League for field maintenance is not consistent with other towns. K. Kaminer commends Reading Little League for funding these great projects. The committee collectively thanks Reading Little League as well. E. Sisson makes a motion to recommend to the Select Board to accept the gift of the infield renovation at Hunt Field pending their ability to raise additional funds. R. Hand seconds. Motion passes 5-0. M. Coltman discusses how the Pickleball Community would like the courts unlocked in the winter but there are some concerns by staff on vandalism. E. Sisson asks if other courts are locked. G. Fiorente states that the newer courts are locked in the winter at Memorial, Bancroft, and Washington. Page 1 3 Committee agrees that they do not have an issue with the courts being unlocked in the winter if ok'd by the Recreation Administrator and Parks especially if the weather has been consistently mild. V. Alvarado states that she is not aware of any Select Board restrictions on courts in the winter months. The committee starts to discuss the earlier amplified sound permit at Memorial park for May 3V. Committee wants clarification on the start time since it is a Sunday and play cannot happen before 12pm without approval. E. Sisson makes a motion to approve a loam start time for the Reading Little League Softball Tournament on May 3V at Memorial Park pending the Recreation Administrator getting clarification. R. Hand seconds. Motion passes 5-0. G. Fiorente gives Division Updates in regard to programming, the Recreation Magazine and projects. G. Fiorente presents an amplified sound permit for the Reading Lion's Club for the Annual Friends and Family Day aka Town Day on June 16, 2020 from 9:30am - 3:00pm. E. Sisson makes a motion to approve the amplified sound permit as presented. E. Gaffen seconds. All in favor 5-0. G. Fiorente presents another amplified sound permit for the Reading Lion's Club for the Journey for Sight 5K on July 16, 2020 at Memorial Park from 5pm-9pm. E. Sisson makes a motion to approve the amplified sound permit as presented. E. Gaffen seconds. All in favor 5-0. E. Sisson reported to the group that she received a letter from Laura Gemme soliciting feedback for the question of non-residents being allowed to serve on Boards and Committees in town. V. Alvarado provided some context for the request. E. Sisson indicated that she misinterpreted the directions on the letter and inadvertently submitted feedback to the clerk as a representative of the recreation committee instead of as a private citizen. The opinion E. Sisson provided to the town clerk was non-residents should be permitted to serve on a board and committee if, and only if, no residents were available and capable to fill the role - in other words, extremely rarely. E. Sisson indicated that this was her personal opinion and she did not realize it was received and distributed as a recreation committee consensus until several residents called her at her home questioning the feedback. E. Sisson apologized to the Recreation Committee for her oversight and for inadvertently speaking on their behalf. She also indicated that she alerted the Recreation Administrator and the town clerk to this situation directly. E. Sisson suggested that if the committee has significant concerns about this matter, they should take a vote and Chair Coltman could relay the updated feedback to Laura Gemme. Brief discussion ensued and the committee decides no action needed to be pursued. E. Sisson makes a motion to adjourn at 9:05pm. R. Hand seconds. All in favor 5-0. Page 14