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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-09-15 Recreation Committee MinutesRECEIVED Town of Reading TOWN CLERK i' Meeting Minutes READING, MA.Al 02025 NOV -3 AM 10: 32 Board - committee - Commission - Council: Recreation Committee Date: 2025-09-15 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: Richard Hand (M), Eric Boemer (M), Melissa Pucci (M), Catherine Kaminer (M), Eric Gaffen (M), Laura Noonan (M), Bob Weiden (M) Members - Not Present: Giuseppe Fodera (A), Lara Durgavich (M), John Federico (A), Matthew George (A), Nick Pesaturo (A) Others Present: Jim Sullivan - Recreation Administrator Jenna Wood - Community Service Director Ed Shambo - Program Coordinator John Sasso ReCAL Operations Working Group Emily Sisson ReCAL Operations Working Group Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Laura Noonan, Recreation Committee Topics of Discussion: Call to Order, Richard Hand calls the meeting to order at 6:30 PM in the Berger Room, Town Hall, Reading, MA Aaenda Item: Approval of Meeting Minutes Chair Richard Hand thanks Catherine Kaminer for preparing the meeting minutes from the last meeting and asks for a volunteer to prepare the meeting minutes for the present meeting. Laura Noonan volunteers. Eric Gaffen makes a motion to approve the meeting minutes from the Reading Recreation Committee June 10, 2025 meeting. The motion is seconded by Catherine Kaminer. Discussion: None. Vote 7-0, motion passes unanimously. Eric Gaffen makes a motion to approve the meeting minutes from the Reading Recreation Committee August 11, 2025 meeting. The motion is seconded by Laura Noonan. Discussion: Laura Noonan points out that Member John Federico's name is misspelled in the meeting minutes for both June and August. Vote 7-0, motion passes unanimously. Public Comment None. Agenda Item: Amplified Use Permit Request Page 1 1 Bob Weider, reads the request for Alex's Big Benefit Music Show, taking place on Sunday, October 12 2025 from, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Memorial Park. The request seeks to use sound equipment, speakers, mixers, microphone, musical instruments, general announcements and music. Discussion: Jim Sullivan indicates that this has been allowed for the past several years. Catherine Kaminer asks if there have been complaints previously. Jim Sullivan answers that there have been none. Bob Walden makes a motion to approve the Request. The motion is seconded by Melissa Pued. Discussion: None. Vote 7-0, motion passes unanimously. Agenda Item: Reading Center for Active Livina fReCAU Operations Plan -Presentation & Discussion Jenne Wood, John Sasso, and Emily Sisson present the ReCAL Operations Plan. Presentation sections included: "Responsibilities & Stakeholders'; "Vision and Mission Statements and Guiding Principles for ReCAL"; "ReCAL- Something for Everyone'; "Operational Plan Outline Draft"; and "Timeline and Next Steps". Eric Gaffen suggested that Town Meeting Members be updated about progress on the project. Bids for construction will go out early in the New Year. Completion of construction is estimated for Fall of 2027. Bob Walden asked about estimates on the cost of the additional staff. Jenne Wood responded that a presentation on the preliminary budget will be made in the new fiscal year but that it is expected that a lot of the budgeted positions will be able to be offset by the revolving funds - either by Elder Human Services or the Recreation Revolving Fund. See video for full presentation. VIDEO Aaenda Item: Master Plan Committee- Update on Formation Chair Richard Hand reported that at the last Reading Recreation Committee meeting there was a question as to whether or not the Recreation Committee could send an associate member to participate on the Master Plan Committee. The answer from the Select Board is Yes. There is no need to nominate anyone at this time. Agenda Item: Recreation Committee Representation on CPA Committee- Discussion & Possible Vote Eric Gaffen asked that this item be placed on the Agenda. Eric Gaffen indicated that he has been on the CPA Committee but that he cannot make it to every meeting. He asks that someone from the Reading Recreation Committee replace him on the CPA Committee. He reports that the CPA Committee has a plan to move forward with getting it in front of Town Meeting for the vote and then to be on the November 2026 election. Eric gave an update on what is currently going on with the CPA Committee. Catherine Kammer volunteers to replace Eric Gaffen but indicates that she does a lot of travelling and there is a very good chance that she will not be able to make it to every meeting. Eric suggested that if Catherine could not make it to a meeting that he or another Recreation Committee member, could sit in the audience and give input from the Recreation. Catherine indicated that she will try to do Zooms if possible. Bob Weiden makes a motion to nominate Catherine Kaminer to replace Eric Gaffen on the CPA Committee. The motion is seconded by Laura Noonan. Discussion: Jim Sullivan asked if the Recreation Committee should reach out to the chair of the CPA Committee to see if it is possible to have someone replace Catherine Kaminer at a CPA meeting if she could not attend. Eric Gaffen clarified that if Recreation was to send a member to attend a meeting in Catherine's place, that they would be a member of the public and not a member of the Committee and anyone can attend the CPA meetings as a member of the public. Vote: 7-0, motion passes unanimously. Chair Richard Hand thanked Eric Gaffen for his time on the CPA Committee and also thanked Catherine Kaminer for stepping up to replace Eric. Agenda Item: Proiect Updates: ReCALIPickleball Birch Meadow Phase II, Community Tennis Courts Jim Sullivan reports the following: ReCAL and Pickleball are going through permitting and getting approval. Went to second meeting with Conservation about a week and a half ago. Waiting for the order of conditions to come back from Conservation. Conservation would like some shade structures where the lights are with the pickleball courts because of the light bleed that might go into conservation areas. Also, conservation has asked that the pathway behind the pickleball courts to the ReCAL Center not be asphalt so as not to effect wetlands. They would like to see high grade crushed stone. Page 1 2 Jim Sullivan reports that there was a meeting last week with CPDC and that CPDC is looking to see a good faith agreement with the shared parking with the Burbank Ice Area. Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager and Town Counsel are working on a Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to such an agreement. Birch Meadow Phase II: The post tension concrete pad has been installed. Neighbors were notified that there would be a high flow of trucks coming in that day. They just finished the tensioning of the post tension concrete. It will need to sit for 28 days before they can put the paint on it. The hope is that the courts will be done in about one month. Waiting on deliveries. The biggest delay is the playground equipment, which is scheduled to be in Reading on October 22-with the hope of installation on November 3-. There have been no complaints from neighbors. There is a 40 year warranty on the basketball courts. Community Tennis Courts on Bancroft Ave: Water department went down and hooked up the water and DPW power washed, removed poles as well as the nets, removed weeds and filled cracks. There will be a 48 hour curing period on the courts. Aaenda Item: Proaram Coordinator & Recreation Administrator Updates Jim Sullivan reports the following There is an opening vacancy in the Recreation Committee unfortunately with the passing of Michael Coltman. It was posted today on the town website. If any associate member or new member is interested in becoming a full member it can be found on the volunteer page that is on the town website that can be found under the Town Managers page or the Town Clerk's page, or they can email Jim Sullivan. The footbridge at Sturges park is in a holding period right now as surveyors are determining what is town land and what is privately owned. At the last Recreation meeting, there was talk about Recreation donating some money to Conservation. The amount Conservation is seeking from Recreation is $3,000.00. The money would be used for kiosks and signage. Jim recommends that if Conservation would like to continue to pursue seeking such a donation from Recreation, that Conservation come to a Recreation Committee meeting in October and make a presentation accordingly so that the Committee can discuss and make a decision. Richard Hand asked it Conservation was going to any other departments for funding, Jim says not that he is aware. Laura Noonan asked it it Conservation came up with the idea on their own to seek the funds from Recreation or it it was suggested to them that they do so. Jim Sullivan replied that it was suggested to them by the Assistant Town Manager that they seek the donation from the Recreation Committee. Reading is partnering with North Reading, Andover, Wakefield, and Arlington Recreation Department to put on an Adaptive Sports Day. This fun event will be held in Andover on October 11- from 11:00-1:00 and it is for youth ages 8-18 that have visual or mobility impairment. There will be beep basketball, wheelchair basketball and adaptive soccer. Reading has volunteered to host the next Adaptive Sports Day in the spring at Birch Meadow. RCN is looking to do fundraising efforts. They would like to do a potential pickleball fundraiser at Memorial Park. The funds would be to help benefit the programs they run and they would also like to give a kickback to RPPA if they were to join up with this. They are looking to do it either 10/12 or 10/19 from 12-5:30. Melissa Pucci pointed out that Alex's Big Benefit Music Show is taking place at Memorial Park on 10/12. Jim Sullivan will recommend that they do it on 10/19. The next inclusive trip with young teens will be to Canobie Lake Park Screamfest on 10118 from 3:00-7:00 PM. Melissa Pucci asks about the inclusive outing opportunities for adult ages as the ARPA funds to the YMCA for this use was for all ages. Laura Noonan asked If there was an update on funding a part-time TPA shared with another town. There has been no movement on that as the town is going to pursue their own TPA at the ReCAL when it opens. Bob Walden asked if there was an update on the potential for the funds from Burbank to fund the adaptive programming. There is no update on that topic. Ed Shambo reports the following: Daycation summer program went well. Fall programs are starting. Largest program for the fall is SNL flag football which started on September 6-. 550 kids are signed up (Grades K-7). Rec held an Intergeneretional fishing clinic in August at Lake Ouannapowitt with the Mass Wildlife. Downtown Trick or Treat date is set for October 28" from 4:00-5:30PM. Page 1 3 Buildwave -STEM program. Ed would like to see this as an intergenerational program and maybe a program in the future. In Town Sunday basketball prep has started and registration is open. Trip to Nashoba happening again in the winter. Chair Richard Hand closes out the public comment as no one showed up for that. Ede Gallen makes a motion to adjourn at 7:47PM. Melissa Pucci seconds. Vote: All in favor 7-0. Meeting adjourned at 7:47PM. FULL VIDEO Recreation Committee Page 1 4