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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-08-27 Recreation Committee MinutesTown of Reading 4 Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Recreation Committee Date: 2024-08-27 Time: 6:30 PM Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Berger Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Session: Open Session Purpose: General Monthly Meeting Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: E fX t:33 Eric Gallen (M), Bob Walden (M), Michael Coltman (M), Kate Kaminer (M), Kevin Leete (A), Giuseppe Fodera (A), Laura Noonan (A), Melissa Pucci (M), Matthew George (A) Members - Not Present: Eric Boemer (M), Richard Hand (M), Others Present: Jim Sullivan - Recreation Administrator Edward Shambo - Recreation Coordinator Kerrin Herrick - Select Board Carlo Baccl - Select Board John Feudo, Burbank YMCA Judy Coltman, Milton Rd. Ultimate Players and Reading Pickleball Players Association Joseph McHugh - Middlersex Ave. Reading Pickleball Players Association Angela Binder - Orchard Park Dr. Karen Janowski, Brian Newman Reading Youth Football Jenna Ford, remote via zoom Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Mike Coltman, Committee member Topics of Discussion A video recording of this meeting is available at: https://www.voutube.com/watch?v-K3dTVWW5BsY Call to Order: Eric Gallen calls the meeting to order at 6:31PM in the Berger Room, Town Hall, Reading, MA. E. Gallen Elevates Associate member Laura Noonan to full member status to make quorum and then does roll call (see above). Melissa Pucci (M) was a few minutes late but joined for the discussion of minutes. Agenda Item: Approval of Minutes: Kate Kam iner makes motion to accept minutes as presented. Laura Noonan seconds the motion. Vote: All in favor, minutes approved, passes 6-0 Page I I Public Comment: Judy Coltman, Milton Rd., RPPA Board Member and Ultimate Frisbee Player, thanked committee for the benches at Memorial Park and for supporting the Ultimate Frisbee group in town. Angela Binder, Orchard Park Drive, discusses the use of the funds from The Ice Authority to the town that the committee had recommended at the last meeting be used for Recreation activities. Angela made the point that these funds need to be allocated by Town Meeting and that there is no extra money. Eric Gaffin responded that the funds do have to be allocated by Town Meeting and that the recommendation had been made to the Select board and that it was up the Select Board and Town Meeting to decide how the funds would be used. Angela asked whether a letter had been sent to the Select Board. Jim S. responded that it had been brought up in the liaison report. Karen Janowski, X Circle, asked the committee what the next steps for the siting of Pickleball courts were and that there were a lot of players interested in new courts. Jim S. responded that everyone was in support of Pickleball at Symonds way but that it is coupled with the ReCal initiative which is now transferring to the Permanent Building Commission and that there a lot of steps to go through. Eric G. said that it is up to the Select board to give direction on this and that if we get the green light the committee can make a recommendation. Mike Coltman asked what steps would be required to get the courts on the Capital plan and that it would be important to get them on the plan to be ready to town meeting in the spring. Getting the imitative started is important to getting the courts built next summer. Angela Binder Recommends that Recreations Committee go before the Financial Forum to get Pickleball part of the overall plan. Aaenda Item: Amplified Sound Request, Reading Police Department Overdose Awareness event on August 28"' on Town Common, Approved 6-0. Agenda Item: Temporary lighting Request. Multi -Purpose Field. Reading Youth Football) Brian XXX representing Reading Youth Football requests temporary lights for multi -Purpose field in Birch Meadow complex for youth Football fall program that goes from September to Mid -November. J. Sullivan states that it would be limited to IOPM and that there are no nearby homes and that the general area has many lighted fields already. Mike Coltman makes motion to approve light request, Laura Noonan seconds the motion. Vote: All in favor, request passes" Agenda Item: Adaptive Program YMCA, YMCA/ARPA Program Mid -Year Update. J. Feudo gave a PowerPoint presentation to the committee with statiticss on numbers of participants in the various programs. Laura Noonan asked if the programs were limited to Reading Public School students and John they were. John discussed some challenges in marketing to possible participants and matching participants to programs. Point was made that there are potential participants in town outside the reading public schools and that it would be important to expand the outreach. Page 1 2 Melissa Pucci, asked about the connection with Communitas and John Feudo explained that they had proposed working together but that Communitas didn't have the bandwidth for the depth of programs. Melissa Pucci thanked John and his staff for their work and went on to discuss the idea that the ARPA funds were viewed as seed money to expand the services for this population. She went on to recommend that the Committee and the Recreation Division consider a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist to help develop and coordinate adaptive programming. Melissa makes the point that adaptive programming applies to all ages notjust kids. E. Gaffen discussed the use of the Burbank Ice Authority funds for adaptive programming. C. Bacci suggests that he will look at the lease agreement and see if there any clauses in the agreement about what the funds should be used for. M. Coltman noted that the funds are allocated to a special fund that requires Town Meeting vote to spend. Aaenda Item: Program Coordinator/Recreation Administrator Report J. Sullivan reviews the temporary lights on the Birch Meadow multi -use fields. J. Sullivan updated the committee on the resurfacing project at the Bancroft Ave. Tennis courts. The bid was won by Vermont Recreation Surfacing and Fencing for —$75k. Project should be completed in fall If weather cooperates. J. Sullivan showed a number of pictures depicting the refurbishment of materials at playgrounds at Wood End, Brich Meadow and Barrows schools. Successfully worked with DPW to reduce costs. Rubber mulch will be phased out in the future at Barrows. J. Sullivan worked the sports organizations and DPW to remove derelict equipment from fields and installed robust fencing to prevent parking on fields at the Coolidge Middle School. J. Sullivan led a discussion about choosing a site for Pickleball at Symonds Way. C. Bacci asked that Recreation make a presentation to the Select Board on the concepts for pickleball. K. Leete suggested that draft wording for a potential article be developed for consideration for the Spring Town Meeting. There was some discussion of the proposed testing of the Zanni land. E. Shambo states summer programming went well and fall programming posted to include Salsa Dancing, Nutrition and meditation A brief discussion of the fall Trick or Treat event with the suggestion that some time be set aside for special needs children that may be sensitive to crowds or scared by costumes. M. Coltman makes a motion to adjourn at 8:00 PM, B. Weiden seconds Vote: All in favor 8-0, meeting adjourned 8:01PM. Page 1 3