Draft Minutes TOWN OF GUILFORD Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes 2 nd July, 2018 A regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission was held on Monday 2 nd July, 2018 at 6:30p.m. in the Guilford Community Center with Chairman Rose Dostert presiding. Present: Mark Coppola, Rose Dostert, Claire Kinkade Dunn, Tara Hunt-Melvin, Lawrence Rooney and Judy Sullivan. Also present Director Rick Maynard. John Jagielski joined the meeting in progress (6:40p.m.). Excused: Suzanne McDermott and Diane Van Steenbergen. The meeting was called to order at 6:35p.m. Public Forum: 1) Robert Borden, 130 Meadow Hills Drive, said he was present on behalf of his sister-in-law, Marlene Colento. A tree was recently planted in her memory at Chaffinch Island Park and Mr. Borden said he was now asking permission to add a bench beside the tree as Ms. Colento loved the park. (See also under New Business ) Ms. Dunn made a motion to change the order of the agenda to take New Business Items C and D next. Mrs. Sullivan seconded the motion and it was carried unanimously. NEW BUSINESS D. Eagle Scout Project Mosaic Panel: Michael Earle introduced himself saying he was with Troop 471. His proposal was to design, commission and work with artists Bruce & Joanne Hunter to create and install a mosaic on the back of the kiosk at Jacobs Beach. This would be a prime location for a piece of artwork to represent the Guilford community. The project would involve a sketch which Mr. Hunter would paint on an appropriately-sized board. The board would be taken to events pulling in Guilford residents. While the mosaic was being created passersby would be invited to add tiles to the work, thus making the mosaic a piece of artwork created, in part, by members of the community. Guilford s Facilities Department would be asked to hang the mosaic on the back of the kiosk and Mr. Earle said he would provide the necessary hardware. He also said his project would include fundraising to cover the cost of the mosaic design and creation. Mr. Earle added that if the Commission approved his project he would return next month with a sketch of the proposed mosaic. Mrs. Dostert asked how the community would be involved. Mr. Earle replied by placing tiles on the mosaic at community events. Mr. Earle was asked if there would be Guilford scenes. He replied yes, there would either be scenes of Guilford or something that reflected Guilford s history. Mrs. Sullivan made a motion that the Commission approved this proposal with the stipulation that Mr. Earle return next month with a sketch of the proposed mosaic. Ms. Dunn seconded the motion and it was carried unanimously. Mrs. Dostert confirmed that there would be no cost to the Department and Mr. Earle agreed.
C. Eagle Scout Project Bridge Over Stream in Bittner Park: Caden Kozub introduced himself saying he was with Troop 474 and he showed a board illustrating his proposal. Mr. Kozub said he planned to build a bridge over the stream in Bittner Park crossing the trail marked with red and yellow blazes. The stream is approximately 8½ ft. wide so the bridge would be approximately 20 25 over the stream so people would not have to walk through the mud and water. Mr. Kozub noted that horse riders used the park so the bridge would be built to accommodate them. He said he would be fund raising for the entire project and would have to seek approval from the Inland Wetlands Commission. Mr. Kozub noted that he would bring a design and model of the bridge to the next meeting. Mr. Rooney mentioned a bridge over Iron Stream in Timberlands which was built approximately 12 years ago and advised Mr. Kozub to look at this for ideas. Mr. Coppola made a motion that the Commission approved this proposal to build a bridge over the stream in Bittner Park. Ms. Hunt-Melvin seconded the motion and it was carried unanimously. CORRESPONDENCE Received: Emails asking questions and/or opposing the proposed disc golf course at Bittner Park from:- Susan Bobbin, Chris Moore, Robin Charney, Heather Allore, Caroline Zeiss, Cynthia Brandt. Mrs. Dostert thanked Mr. Maynard and Ms. Dunn for responding to these emails. Approval of Minutes: Mr. Coppola made a motion to accept the Minutes of 4 th June, 2018. Ms. Dunn seconded the motion and it was carried with 6 votes in favor. Mrs. Dostert abstained since she was not present at the June meeting. BILLS Mr. Maynard noted that Kandra Houston (Leete s Island Garden Club) had volunteered to install plantings at Jacobs Beach and been reimbursed for the plant material. Mr. Jagielski asked if tonight s bills would close out this fiscal year. Mr. Maynard replied no because there were still some bills to come in and purchase orders could be kept open beyond the end of the fiscal year. He mentioned that the costs for the tourism information kiosk had gone up this year but he was unsure why. Mrs. Sullivan made a motion to approve the bills presented for payment. Ms. Dunn seconded the motion and it was carried unanimously. MTD Actual is: $132,793.34. DIRECTOR S REPORT Disc golf course checked original deed for purchase of property, no restrictions listed, golf course given as an acceptable activity, over 500 surveys received, 75% support, 20% opposed, 5% neutral, raised $10,000 to date, 30 people attended public viewing of fairway #1, maintenance staff did nice job of creating the fairway; attended FOI seminar; reviewed proposed policy on field use/fees; Page 2 of 7
DIRECTOR S REPORT (continued) attended the following meetings: Subcommittee on field policy, Field Committee, BOS; GHS synthetic turf several conference calls and meeting with all contractors, town attorney, First Selectman, consultants, Paul Schmidt, tests being done on materials to determine cause of ice buildup, field will not be open by early fall; attended and spoke at 2 court-of-honor ceremonies for Eagle Scouts; Jacobs boardwalk checked progress multiple times, should be completed by 7/10/18; met with Eagle Scout candidate Caden Kozub re bridge project at Bittner Park; met with students/family members for Ethan Song Spikeball Tourney at Leete fields; roof project shingles delivered and project started; reviewed Little League complaints about Bittner A & B fields met on-site with First Selectman and Parks Foreman, Bittner B was rebuilt last fall by a contractor paid by GLL, part of infield had indications of stress from heat/dry weather, fertilizer and mowing, it will come back with water; contracted with hot dog vendor for weekends at Jacobs Beach; reviewed 2017-18 purchase orders to close and establish new PO s for 2018-19. Mr. Maynard said that in the past the Department had wanted food vendors at Jacobs Beach but were unsuccessful. A hot dog vendor on the Guilford Green was now interested in doing weekends at the beach. He would pay $600 for exclusive rights to the weekends and special events at the beach. STAFF REPORTS A. Seniors Program Coordinator (written): Program Highlights: Strawberry Social picnic at Jacobs beach, Johnny P entertainment; Learn Before Lunch, Dr. Sprenkle, Yale Urology; Father s Day lunch, Jim Sheehan entertainment; AARP Safe Driving class; Summer Solstice picnic with indoor barbecue, Mick Iarusso entertainment; monthly Ask the Nurse session; birthday lunch. Trips: Shaker For A Day, Pittsfield, MA; Sister Act, Westchester Broadway Theatre, Elmsford, NY; Menopause the Musical, Long Wharf Theatre; Lunch Bunch to CT State House/Polish National Home. Meals Program: Meals served at Community Center: May 2018 848 (May 2017 831); Meals on Wheels: May 2018 2,144 (May 2017 2,189). Bus Program: May 2018: Total Trips 729, Total Passengers 1,119, Miles 4,997, Passenger Miles 16,261, Odometer Miles 5,706. Mr. Maynard reported that there had been good attendance at the Summer Solstice picnic with approximately 80 attendees. It was held indoors at the Community Center due to cool weather. Mr. Jagielski asked if there was a way of advertising seniors events. Mrs. Dostert replied yes, that they were included in a monthly newsletter. C. Parks Foreman (written): Track drains at GHS stadium emptied; 100 yards of mulch spread between playgrounds at Bittner, Jacobs and Rec; new pickup truck delivered; bloodborne pathogens certification completed for all employees; edge Green walkways for graduation; Bittner B golf head fixed, was leaking from broken pipe and fitting, also moved head back 8 so not under portable mound anymore; beach cleaning done weekly, Barbara Pine beach cleaned for dedication ceremony; 4 of 6 picnic tables ordered built for GLL, old wood ones cut up and removed; Soccerfest fields Page 3 of 7
C. Parks Foreman (continued) measured, setup, painted and goals moved as needed; Camp started at Jacobs, assisted with setup and hauling as requested, set up GaGa Ball court we built; Bittner proposed disc golf hole #1 cleared for public informational meeting; LL District play will be hosted at Adams A and B, have met with Stephen Bioty who is helping lead events coordination to see what we can help with, made punch list together and will work all week to meet those requests prior to 6/28, including grooming, lining, edging, clay, stone supplementation, installing temp fencing and setting up parking area. Mr. Maynard reported that it had been a lot of work for the maintenance staff to have facilities ready for graduation on the Green, Soccerfest and the Guilford Little League district tournament. Copies of an email from Steve Bioty, GLL, were circulated. Mr. Bioty s email said many compliments were received about the facilities and he really appreciated all the hard work. Mrs. Dostert said she had gone to the Barbara Pine beach dedication and that the staff had done a great job cleaning up the beach. Later in the meeting Mr. Maynard reported that the Board of Selectmen had approved the purchase of a slice aerator. OLD BUSINESS A. Standing Fields Committee: Mr. Jagielski reported that the committee was still working on a field use policy. An extensive use policy was drafted first and this was now being condensed. Another issue was a policy on fees. Guilford s fees were probably on the low end of the scale but if market value was charged this might be too high. Mr. Jagielski noted that scheduling for fall sports would be starting soon but the new policies would not be in place by then. He said he personally felt if fees were too high it would discourage people from using Guilford s facilities and bringing people into town had an economic benefit. B. Green Committee: Mr. Maynard stated that this committee had not met recently. C. Land Acquisition Commission: No report. D. Technology: No report. E. Community Center 25 th Anniversary: Postponed to the fall. F. Community Center Betterments and Improvements: Mrs. Dostert said the carpet colors had been chosen. However, this project would not be done until the roof replacement and painting projects had been completed. G. Jacobs Beach Boardwalk Extension: Mr. Maynard said this work may be completed tomorrow. He added that he was looking into tent rentals. Architect William Thompson wished to be involved in this so an attractive tent was used. Page 4 of 7
H. Disc Golf Course: Mrs. Dostert felt the open house had gone well. A public hearing will be held on 7/17/18 at 7:00p.m. in the Guilford Community Center. Mr. Maynard said $10,000 of the $12,000 needed had been raised. In response to comments that the course would only serve a limited number of people, Mr. Maynard pointed out that Guilford had lots of recreational amenities but not every single person in town used them. The cost for the course was very reasonable and Mr. Maynard said $46,000 had been spent on repairs for the tennis courts, etc. He mentioned that the Environmental Planner had submitted an application to DEEP for National Diversity Data Base but these results were not yet available. 506 results were received on the Department s online survey. Ms. Dunn pointed out that Bittner Park was approximately 140 acres and the golf course was using a very small portion of this. Mr. Jagielski added that if the golf course did not go well the park would return to its original condition very quickly. He also noted that sports activities had changed over the years and that disc golf was the next generation of outdoor sports activities. Ms. Dunn asked about notifying adjacent property owners regarding the public hearing. Mr. Maynard replied that there were no direct neighbors. I. Community Center Roof Replacement: Mrs. Dostert said this project was underway. It was suggested that if there was a big event at the Community Center participants might have to be shuttled in from a remote location due to parking constraints. J. GHS Synthetic Turf Damage: Mr. Jagielski reported that this matter was still unresolved because there was disagreement among the involved parties as to the cause of the damage. The damage was also more widespread than first thought. Mr. Jagielski personally felt the field would not be usable this fall. Mr. Maynard stated that testing was taking place in a lab. The damage was caused by ice but it was not known what prevented water from moving so it formed into ice. K. 52 Church Street: Permission has been given to use the garage and house. L. Field Use Policy and Fees: See above under Standing Fields Committee. A letter was received from Paul Schmidt (SFC chairman) regarding Guilford Little League s failure to comply with established policies and procedures. Mr. Coppola asked what this meant. Mr. Maynard replied that GLL were not filling out forms to request field usage and staff were learning of the usage from GLL s website. Normally a reservation form would be filled out which would be approved and added to the Department s schedule. If the form is not completed the Department does not know the field is being used and so cannot prepare it in advance. Mrs. Dostert noted that there had been complaints about the grooming of fields but if the Department does not know when the field is needed how can it groom the field. Mr. Jagielski felt that the expectations for the maintenance staff could not be met. The Department s budget has been cut by the Board of Finance so money can not be put back into the fields. Mrs. Dostert felt the Parks Foreman had been very good and did the best that he could. Mr. Jagielski pointed out that the maintenance staff did more for GLL than for any other sports group in town and that he felt this was a problem. He did not feel that the fields were deficient, unsafe or unplayable. He also noted that GLL s season had expanded from when it first started and that extended field use allowed for less maintenance time. Mr. Coppola said there Page 5 of 7
L. Field Use Policy and Fees (continued) was a particular time period when fields had high use and asked if there was a way to provide extra help, additional equipment during this time period. Mrs. Dostert said the Commission could look into this during the budget process. Mr. Maynard explained one problem GLL contracted work on Bittner B field last fall. More recently there was a chain of events which caused aesthetic damage to the fields due to hot weather, drought, lack of irrigation, etc. The field was watered extensively and it came back fine. Mr. Jagielski mentioned that in April GLL was playing in the rain which should not be done in baseball. M. Community Center Carpet Replacement: See above under Community Center Betterments & Improvements. N. HVAC Upgrades: Mr. Maynard said this work was being done under the Town s energy efficiency grant. NEW BUSINESS (continued) A. Request for Bench at Chaffinch Island Park for Marlene Celanto: Mrs. Dostert wondered how many benches were already in place. Mr. Jagielski replied perhaps 7. He said he personally felt the park should be less populated with memorial benches as it detracted from the beauty of the park. Mr. Rooney added that concrete benches were not very comfortable to sit on. This item was tabled to the August meeting. B. Eagle Scout Project Split-rail Fence at Lake Quonnipaug: Mr. Maynard reported that this scout was not yet ready to make his presentation. E. Hot Dog Vendor at Jacobs Beach: See above under Director s Report. F. Community Picnic and Fireworks: Scheduled for 7/7/18, rain date 7/8/18. G. Request for Bench at Jacobs Beach: An email was received from Allen Jacobs asking permission to install a permanent bench along the walkway at Jacobs Beach in memory of his wife Livia Jacobs. Mr. Maynard said the bench would be installed between the boardwalk and the grass area. Architect William Thompson chose a location which he thought would be suitable. Mrs. Dostert pointed out that the Commission had not conducted its yearly walk of its facilities. She suggested meeting before the August 6 th meeting (5:00p.m.) and reviewing Chittenden, Chaffinch Island Parks and Jacobs Beach. Commission members were asked to review the policy regarding memorials. This request for a bench was tabled to the August meeting. H. Lake Quonnipaug Traffic Light: Ms. Dunn asked who was responsible for updating this traffic light. She said it was not ADA compliant and there was an elderly resident who used the beach regularly who sometimes needed assistance. Mr. Maynard replied that the State had installed the Page 6 of 7
H. Lake Quonnipaug Traffic Light (continued) light but it was maintained by the Department. Ms. Dunn asked that the gate guards be instructed to be aware of the elderly resident and her needs. There being no further business to come before the Commission, Ms. Dunn made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:10p.m. Mrs. Sullivan seconded the motion and it was carried unanimously. The next meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission will be held on Monday 6 th August, 2018 at 6:30p.m. in the Guilford Community Center. Respectfully submitted, Katharine Stewart Recording Secretary Page 7 of 7