Richter Park Authority

RICHTER PARK AUTHORITY MEETING MINUTES Richter Park Authority Office Tuesday, August 20, 2024 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 6:04 PM. Members present: Jay Eriquez, George Radachowsky, Al Mead, Leroy Diggs, Bob Eberhard, Judy Griemsmann, Paul DiNardo, Dave Lajoie and Art Haddad. Also present: Jonathan Pinto, Head Golf Professional, Rob Dorsch, Golf Course Superintendent and Karen Madaus, Business Manager. Absent: Pam St. Pierre Public participation None Approve minutes of previous meetings Mr. Lajoie made a motion to approve the minutes of the July 2024 RPA meeting. Mr. DiNardo seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Correspondence none. Arts Association Looking forward to the first season performances in the updated Richter House. The first performance will be on the Sunday after Labor Day (9/9). The RAA is working on PR. Musicals at Richter The season was great! Thank you to Rob for helping with the grounds after the rain. A few shows were lost due to the rain. Thank you to Jay for the trailer. The workshop was great and had 16 kids; hoping for more next year. There will be three shows next year. The Ballet was great, but it rained halfway through. Clean-up has begun. MPC-Richter House none. FORe New bricks for the Felix Bonacci Memorial wall should arrive in 2-3 weeks and the new hiking trail signs will be up soon. Mr. Lajoie offered to help with Danbury Amateur fundraising next year. Business Manager’s Report September will be a busy month for golf outings. Head Golf Professional/Director of Operations The Danbury Amateur was great! We made up some rounds in July with 7500 (the roadmap was 6500). Total rounds are down 400 from last year. August has 3600 rounds so far, so we should hit the roadmap of 6800. We are planning a helicopter drop to raise money for the Dorsch family; the date is 9/30/24. Mr. Mead made a motion to accept the proposal for this fundraiser. Mr. Lajoie seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Grounds and Greens July started hot and steamy; it’s finally cooling off a bit this week. There is a leaking urinal in the new bathroom at the Richter House and the lift will have all the original circuits replaced. Different warranty plans were discussed. Ms. Griemsmann made a motion to sign on with the gold warranty plan. Mr. Eberhard seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Financial report We’re slightly lower than last year, partially because July was a three-payroll month. All current bills are paid. Rob’s payroll cuts will show up on reports. Mr. Mead made a motion to accept the financial report. Mr. DiNardo seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Finance Committee Report No report. Old business Cell tower: should go back to City Council ARPA: a sub-recipient deal has been signed and it is moving forward. The $200,000 will include striping the tennis courts for Pickle Ball, paving some cart paths and trail signage. GPS units on golf carts are $45K per year for the term of the lease. Boilers/HVAC qualify for ARPA funds and local funds. Musicals and Arts budget consideration for rent adjustment. Mr. Mead made a motion to waive Musicals and Arts rent/fees for the 2024 season. Mr. Lajoie seconded. Motion passed unanimously. New business  Director of Golf contract discussion: Contract Committee met at 5pm. Starting 1/1/25, a three year contract will start with a base salary of $105k/year. There will be a 60/40 split of Pro Shop net revenue (60% Mr. Pinto and 40% RPA) from January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2027 and the Contract Committee recommends this unanimously. Mr. Mead made a motion to accept the Committee’s recommendations. Mr. Lajoie seconded. Motion passed. Mr. Radachowsky opposed. Carriage House rental: Current rent is $1,400/month. Mr. Mead made a motion to keep the rent at its current rate. Mr. DiNardo seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Chairman’s Comments/Report There needs to be an Election Committee meeting at the beginning of September. Mr. Diggs is Chair of the Committee and will set the meeting. Executive Session None. Mr. Mead made a motion to adjourn at 7:29 pm. Mr. DiNardo seconded. Motion passed unanimously.