Town Of Redding
REDDING, CONNECTICUT 06875
Redding Park and Recreation Meeting Minutes, 11/28/2005
Redding Park and Recreation – Meeting Minutes
Special Meeting
Date: February 13, 2006
Town of Redding, Connecticut
PRESENT: Chairperson-Susan Goldman; Paul Degener, Steve DiCostanza, Donna Marie Macchio, Ed Miller, Lee Morgan, Jarod Smith
STAFF: Rob Blick, Director; Val Zebrowski, Recording Secretary.
The meeting was called to order at 7:36 p.m.
The minutes from November 28 and December 19, 2005 were unanimously approved.
PUBLIC COMMENT/LETTERS/CORRESPONDENCE:
There was no public comment.
There was no correspondence or letters received.
DIRECTORS REPORT: No report available.
FINANCE COMMITTEE: No update.
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION COMMITTEE: No updates.
TOPSTONE PARK ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE: No updates from Mr. DiCostanza, but Ms. Morgan shared that she spoke with Karen Brown, who has trained lifeguards in the past for CPR. She is available to train staff again this year, and as she donates her time for this, the suggestion was made to offer a monetary donation to the Redding Fire Department as a gesture of appreciation. Response was favorable.
ORGANIZATION/PERSONNEL: No updates.
ATHLETIC FIELDS COMMITTEE: Lee Morgan attended her first RAFC meeting as the second representative fro the Park and Recreation Commission. She and Mr. Degener shared that there are 3 major issues: lighting, turf and expansion of fields. The RFQ-P process is in the bid stage, and advertisements are out for vendors. Blades and Goven is a landscape architectural firm that may be a possible vendor, although the town has used Malone and MacBroom in the past. Don Takacs had contacted area Park and Rec Directors to get information on artificial turf fields.
RCC GROUNDS COMMITTEE: No updates.
WEBSITE: The web pages are designed, and the decision remains as to using Virtual Town hall or another company. Virtual Town Hall may be used for registrations. Tina Miller is in charge of the website.
NEW BUSINESS:
Budget update.
$15,000 has been budgeted for full time employees.
$120,000 for contingency.
$60,000 for pay raises.
Organic field’s maintenance is remaining in the budget—pesticides and fertilizers are not allowed. Doug Hartline is working with Sarah Rosetti from the State Health Department on this issue.
Porto Johns: There was discussion as to the use of Porto Johns at the field locations. The school facilities require them as a condition of use for fields. Their use decreases the public use of building facilities during non-business hours. It was hoped that the cost to rent these portable restrooms could be divided among Park and Rec and the user groups who utilize them the most, soccer and lacrosse. Park and Rec purchased several units, and the idea was to charge user groups toward he cost of maintaining them, approximately $2,200 per year, or $73 per month, for 4 locations (JBHS, JRMS, RES and RCC). Some user groups felt that this is an essential and basic service that they should not have to pay for, suggesting the town should pay for it.
Two groups still owe money from past invoices for Porto Johns. After clearing the old invoices, it was agreed that going forward, this should be discussed with the schools, and perhaps added to the Board of Education budget.
Mr. Miller will have discussion with Mr. Macchio, and Ms. Goldman will have discussion with First Selectman Natalie Ketcham.
Recommendations for policy changes: Mr. Miller s looking into policies mandated by Town Hall that need to be re-visited. The commission will review his findings and give feedback to Mr. Miller and Mr. Blick before the next commission meeting. The recommendation is toward flexibility and open-mindedness.
The meeting adjourned at 8:52 P.M.
Submitted by vaz
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