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RECEIVED MARCH 18, 2009 @ 11:38 A.M.
Michele R. Grande, Redding Town Clerk
Minutes
ATHLETIC FIELDS COMMITTEE
Regular Meeting, Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Town Hall Hearing Room
8:00 P.M.
Attendance: Don Takacs, Chris Hocker, Ted Auer, Liz Pelzar, Paul Winstanley. No members of the public were present.
The meeting was called to order at 8:12 pm.
- Approval of Minutes. Minutes of the December 2, 2008 meeting were reviewed and approved unanimously.
- Review Progress of Blades & Goven Report. Blades & Goven is supervising groundwater testing at John Read Middle School, required by the DEP to complete documentation of the expansion project, which in turn is needed before any fields project at JRMS can be approved by the DEP. In addition, Blades & Goven will supervise sand trenching on RCC Field #2 that is scheduled for April to improve drainage.
- Status of Fields Effort. The committee held a far-ranging discussion of field improvement possibilities given the current economy and the lack of Town funds for such a project. The STEAP grant of $400,000 provided by the State for fields improvement remains in place; however, Mr. Takacs expressed concern that the State might call back any unspent funds in an effort to meet its budget deficit. There was general support for the concept of placing synthetic turf on RCC #2 rather than sand trenching, but the funds needed for this considerably exceed the STEAP grant funds and the excess would need to be raised privately. There were varying opinions on the likelihood of raising these funds at this time, but general agreement that any significant effort would need to be initiated quickly out
of concern about losing the STEAP funds.
The committee re-examined the concept of expanding Field #2 as a natural grass field, at a cost that would be well within the $400,000. It was generally agreed that the committee should revive this concept and to ask Barry Blades to provide updated information as well as generally advise how this sum could be used to improve existing fields at the Community Center. Mr. Takacs would direct these inquiries to Mr. Blades. In addition, Mr. Winstanley would contact Mr. Blades to discuss the source of the drainage problem on Field #2.
- There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:30 pm.
Minutes recorded by Chris Hocker
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