Richter Park Authority

RICHTER PARK AUTHORITY MEETING MINUTES Richter Park Authority Office Tuesday, April 19, 2022, 6:00 PM In compliance with Connecticut General Statute § 1-225, these minutes are being provided for informational purposes and are subject to approval of the Richter Park Authority Board of Directors at its next regular meeting. Chairman Pete Siecienski opened the meeting at 6:00 PM. Members present: Pete Siecienski, George Radachowsky, John Priola, Leroy Diggs, Al Mead, Bob Eberhard, Dave Lajoie, Judy Griemsmann and Paul DiNardo. Also present: Karen Madaus, Business Manager, Jonathan Pinto, Head Golf Professional, Rob Dorsch, Golf Course Superintendent and Bobby Bria, Musicals at Richter. Note: Wendy Grispin is leaving the RPA to become a judge. Public participation None. Approve minutes of previous meetings Mr. Mead made a motion to approve the minutes from the March 15th RPA meeting. Mr. Diggs seconded. Mr. Eberhard and Mr. Priola abstained. Motion passed unanimously. Correspondence None. Arts Association There was a RAA Board meeting last week. A question was asked about broken stone on the walkway. They are excited about the planned festivities for June, and have had two performances so far. Sending a thank you to Harry Kuhn for his donation to the Richter House to fix the bathroom. Musicals at Richter 2022 Season: auditions are this week, with last night being our first night of auditions. Rehearsals will begin in May and the first show opens July 1st. The stage demolition has begun today. We are waiting to hear back from the structural engineer with the plans this week for the new stage. Once we receive them, we will reach out to Mr. Dorsch and the Grounds & Greens Committee for approval. After approval, Jim Blansfield will reach out to the City for the necessary permits. Construction will hopefully begin in early May and finish by the third week in June. If it is not completed by then, there is a request to use the front lawn as a temporary space for performances. There will not be enough money for the new stage, so MAR is brainstorming ideas for fundraising, possibly having an event towards the end of June. Discussion of some possible options occurred. No plans for an event were accepted or finalized. Further discussion, possibly with FORe, is necessary. MPC-Richter House There will be a meeting in the next few weeks. FORe There was a discussion regarding the opening of the Memorial Walkway. Mr. Priola asked about the costs of the Walkway and was told that Russ Griemsmann has a budget. Business Manager’s Report Outings for the 2022 season have begun and more are still being booked. Head Golf Professional We opened in March and have had a wet/slow start. We had over 2,000 rounds in April. Merchandise and new cart arrival is still slow. The new Veteran’s rate has been well received, as has the new loyalty punch card. Glenn Nanavaty came in March to do the annual audit, and will attend the May RPA meeting with his findings. We have also had great feedback on the tee boxes. Mr. Siecienski asked about the Ranger golf policy, which Mr. Pinto explained. Mr. DiNardo asked that the starters give daily course instructions to all golfers. Grounds and Greens The weather has been cool and damp. The irrigation system was pressurized today. The dredging on 15, 16 and 17 has helped. Tee boxes are being cut but it takes time. To recapture some tee space, the project has gone over budget. Mr. Dorsch explained to the RPA the different areas where the budget for the project was exceeded. Mr. DiNardo stated that we need to do a Capital plan to plan for the future, including cart path paving. Financial report Mr. Priola stated that as of the end of March, we are still in a healthy financial position. Mr. Mead made a motion to place the financial report on file. Mr. Eberhard seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Finance Committee Report Mr. Diggs followed-up to make sure the new 457B and health insurance policies for employees had been put into effect. Old business Mr. Siecienski met with the State Historical Commission and the Preservation Trust to give a visual of the Richter House. They are in favor of taking care of the ADA issues. They also checked the exterior of the house and slate on the walkway. No asphalt can be used for driveways in the back; must be crushed stone. We must repurpose the slate on the front walk, and the House must be hand-washed/brushed and cannot be power-washed. There is grant money available to help with this, and they will match up to $200K. Mr. Radachowsky and Mr. Siecienski met with Mr. Kleinhans from the City, and the City will give us an additional $500k, which will be available after 7/1/22. This will total around $1.7mil available, but it is a large process to get there. The Mayor is 100% behind the project. New business There is a Government Entity Review, sent from the Mayor’s office, due May 1 . There will be a follow-up meeting on Wednesday, May 11th at City Hall. st Chairman’s Comments/Report Mr. Pinto is in his second and final year of his contract and Mr. Dorsch’s is up next year. The Contract Committee will be: Mr. Eberhard (Chair) Mr. Priola Mr. Mead Mr. Radachowsky Ms. Grispin is officially off of the RPA and the Mayor will be appointing a replacement and an alternate, or possibly two. Mr. Mead made a motion to adjourn at 7:46 pm. Mr. Priola seconded. Motion passed unanimously.