Parks & Recreation Commission

LACONIA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES 1. CALL TO ORDER: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 at 7:00pm at the Community Center 2. COMMISSION MEMBERS ATTENDANCE: Jeff Pattison (Chair), Mitch Hamel (Clerk), Rodney Roy, George Hawkins, Kevin Dunleavy and Liza Kelleher. Absent-Dave Plourde. 3. INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS: Sarah Paratore, Charlie St.Clair, Robert Bolduc Jr., Mark Dadian, Tony Pederzani, Brian Taylor, Dana Ritchie and Katie Reid. 4. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES: Mitch Hamel motioned to accept the December 2013 minutes. Rodney Roy seconded. All were in favor. 5. OLD BUSINESS:  Greater Lakes Child Advocacy Center- Opechee Park-August 2, 2014 Saturday from 5am to 1pm for Sprint Triathlon. Request tabled due to no representation.  Lakes Region Sled Dog Club- Old North Main Street Field, February 1 through February 10, 2014 use for parking and staging for World Championship Sled Dog Derby. Jeff Pattison mentioned that this request was approved administratively last month and no further action is required.  Weirs Action Committee- Endicott Park/Weirs Beach- Fireworks shows from July 3rd midnight & every Friday from 6pm to 1pm (Saturdays for rain dates) and potential fireworks in conjunction with weddings on the Mount Washington ship on Saturdays from 6:00pm to 1:00am. Kevin asked who the applicant and responsible party will be if fireworks are planned for the Mount Washington events. Charlie said it would fall under the Weirs Action Committee. Kevin mentioned that there were times that the beach was not sufficiently cleaned by the fireworks contractor last year. Mitch Hamel motioned to accept the request conditioned upon providing a minimum one week’s notice for any fireworks requests during the weddings on the Mt. Washington ship, submission of the certificate of insurance and the assurance that the beach will be properly cleaned after each event. George Hawkins seconded. All were in favor.  Tardif Park Community Volunteers-Rental Rules. Updated rental agreement forms are now being used for anybody who wants to rent the park house. Kevin Dunleavy informed the Commissioners that the Parks & Recreation Department is overseeing the financial aspects of the park house now. Checks and deposits are handled by the Parks and Recreation office. Kevin Moulton is still in charge with the scheduling of the park house. Jeff Pattison asked Kevin about financial information from previous years of the Tardif Park house. Kevin said he will get more information from the Finance Department. 6. FACILITY USE REQUESTS:  Laconia Motorcycle Week Assoc.- Opechee Park – June 20, 2014 Friday from 7:00am to 3:00pm for annual Bike Week, Bike Show & Swap Meet. George Hawkins motioned to accept the request subject to further approval from the City Council. Mitch Hamel seconded. All were in favor.  Laconia Motorcycle Week Assoc.- Endicott Park/Weirs Beach- Fireworks show on Wednesday June 18, 2014 (rain dates June 19 or 20, 2014) from 6:00pm to 11:00pm. Rodney Roy motioned to accept the request conditioned upon submission of the certificate of insurance for the firework show. Mitch Hamel seconded. All were in favor.  Larry Stinson/Tom Dowling Memorial Funds- Opechee Park- Sunday, June 29, 2014 from 8:00am to 2:00pm for the LHS scholarship fundraising. Brian Taylor explained that this is a 1mile course inside the track and includes swimming from Opechee Pt. across Opechee Cove to the Edgewater Ave area. George Hawkins motioned to accept the request and waive the non- profit charity event fee, conditioned upon submission of a certificate of insurance and final approval from the City Council for the fundraising event. Rodney Roy seconded. All were in favor.  Autism Center of Central NH- WOW Trail- Sunday, May 18, 2014 from 9am to 1pm for fundraising walk event. Request tabled due to no representation.  Laconia Lacrosse Club- Leavitt Park and Robbie Mills (games at LHS)- March through June 2014 Monday –Friday from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. Mitch Hamel motioned to accept the request conditioned upon submission of the rosters, non-resident users’ fees, schedule and the certificate of insurance. George Hawkins seconded. All were in favor.  Laconia Youth Soccer- Opechee Field, Leavitt Field, Robbie Mills Complex, Elm St., Pleasant & Woodland Heights school field- July 28th to October 25, 2014 Monday through Friday 5:30~8:30pm and  Saturday 8am to 4pm. Robert Bolduc mentioned that the league may open up for out of town kids and will pay any non-resident fees associated with this. Rodney Roy asks if there is a possibility to use other town fields once we open the soccer to out of town kids. Mr. Bolduc said they can look into this. Kevin Dunleavy also mentioned that the leagues should inform us if they are not utilizing fields during requested times because we have had issues in the past with some leagues that will request a field and will not end up using it. George Hawkins motioned to accept the request conditioned upon final scheduling in the office, and submission of a certificate insurance. Mitch Hamel seconded. All were in favor.  Community Action Program Belknap-Merrimack Counties- WOW Trail- Saturday, May 17, 2014 from 9:00am to 1:00pm to raise awareness and funds to end senior hunger. Rodney Roy motioned to accept the request conditioned upon submission of a certificate of insurance. Also, subject to the non- profit charity event fee being waived. Mitch Hamel seconded. George Hawkins abstained, and the rest were in favor.  Evangelical Baptist Church- Leavitt Park- June 23~28, 2014 from 8:00am to 4:00pm for a soccer camp. Request tabled due to no representation.  LAYBL- Community Center- February 12th to 16th, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday from 5:00- 9:00pm, Saturday and Sunday from 8:00am to 9:00pm for an annual basketball tournament. Jeff Pattison mentioned that the request was administratively approved last month and no action was required today.  Patricia Woolsey- Rotary Gazebo- August 9, 2014 from 4pm to 10pm for gathering and wedding pictures. Request tabled due to no representation.  Lindsey Gonyer- Rotary Gazebo- September 13, 2014 from 2:00pm to 3:00pm for a wedding ceremony. Request tabled due to no representation.  Sheila Woodward- Rotary Gazebo- April 19, 2014, Saturday from 1:00pm to 8:00pm for photos and family gathering. Request tabled due to no representation.  WOW Trail – WOW Trail from Elm Street to Messer Street- Saturday, May 3rd from 8:00am to 10:00am for the BOW WOW Fest Dog Parade. Kevin Dunleavy mentioned that the money will be donated to the LPD K9 Unit. George Hawkins motioned to accept the request conditioned upon submission of the certificate of insurance and final approval from the City Council. Mitch Hamel seconded. All were in favor. 7. OTHER REQUESTS REQUIRING COMMISSION ACTION:  Letter from Mark Dadian requesting the tapping of trees at Hillside Cemetery at Mechanic Street, Lakeport. Mark stated that he also is requesting to bring tubing that will bring the sap down from the furthest trees to central location. Concerns were raised by the Commission about the look of the tubing. Jeff Pattison said he received one complaint about the tapping of trees last year at this location. George motioned to accept the request to tap trees at Hillside Cemetery but not the use of extra tubing. Mitch Hamel seconded. All were in favor. 8. NEW BUSINESS:  Letter from Laconia Little League in regards to Colby Field improvements. Katie Reid President of Laconia Little League stated that they are requesting assistance with the repair and upgrade of Colby Field. It was stated that Colby Field for at least the past 25 years has been maintained by Laconia Little League volunteers and they are now experiencing issues with a poor playing surface and drainage. Katie Reid said she met with Kevin Dunleavy and Tim Ford to outline the repairs and improvements that can be done with the field. Tim Ford suggested some steps to be done. George Hawkins explained that the Colby Field is being used solely by the Little League and all the maintenance has been done by the group in the past years. George Hawkins mentioned that if the Parks & Recreation starts taking more of a role in maintaining the field and starts spending more money on the field, then the Commission may open the facility for other users. It was mentioned that Parks & Recreation has helped in mowing the field once in awhile. Kevin stated that Tim Ford offered to train some volunteers in maintaining the field to keep it in top condition. Jeff Pattison explained that the money that was collected from the users’ fees should be used on the fields that need it most. Rod Roy explained that Laconia Little League should be careful about opening the door to other users on the field. Mitch Hamel proposed that if Little League will be able to provide the materials cost then the Parks crew can help provide the labor in accordance with their schedule. Commissioners suggested Katie Reid brings this discussion to the Little League board, and update Kevin with further information.  Weirs Beach 4th of July discussion. Kevin stated that concerns about the 4th of July situation at Weirs Beach relating to trash, parking, and general behavior have been raised by the Weirs community. In response to these concerns, Parks and Recreation has met with Laconia Police to help alleviate and minimize some of these concerns. Kevin Dunleavy discussed to the Commissioners the opening time of  the beach during the fourth of July. Last year, beachgoers were arriving as early as 4:30am to stake claim to parking spaces and picnic tables. Maintenance crews are having a hard time cleaning the beach because people are everywhere even when the gate is closed. Current Park Rules and Regulations do not address specific opening times for park facilities. Commissioners suggested having the same opening and closing time to all the parks to help us enforce the rules. Commissioners suggested Kevin Dunleavy make some draft language that the Commission can review at the next meeting. Kevin Dunleavy also mentioned that Parks and Police anticipate adding staff to the Weirs Beach area in response to the concerns.  PSNH improvements at Stewart Park. Kevin Dunleavy informed the Commission about underground utility work in and around Stewart Park by PSNH. He said PSNH is upgrading the underground electrical and requested the use of the easterly corner of Stewart Park for placement of a transformer. Kevin said that an easement should be executed to formalize any agreement the City would have to use this space. Kevin said he does anticipate any major disruption in park use resulting from this request. George asked about screening the area, and Kevin said PSNH offered to use shrubs or anything required to screen the look of the transformer. The Commission had no further concerns. 9. PUBLIC COMMENT: 10. COMMUNICATIONS:  Thank You letter from Don Morrissey (Salvation Army Turkey Plunge) 11. PARK ASSOCIATION REPORTS: Leavitt Park Association –No Report Opechee Park Association- Income & Expense Report Tardif Park Association- No Report Weirs Community Park Association- No report Wyatt Park Association- No report 12. DEPARTMENT REPORTS: Directors Report submitted by Kevin Dunleavy • Recent maintenance projects and activities include: Maintenance Shop cleanup and painting Heating Oil Checks Snow and ice removal, salting and sanding. Various work orders at City Hall, Library, park houses, LFD and LPD Set up for sledding and skating parties Skating Rink preparation and maintenance Trash removal Pet waste bag restocking • Weirs Beach Sand Migration Study- The engineering consultant, Woods Hole Group, is in the midst of alternatives analysis. The alternatives addressing the sand migration, erosion and deposition include enhancement of the Weirs Channel Jetty, manual backpassing of sediment, beach nourishment, adjustable groins and sand fencing. All alternatives are still being evaluated. A report is anticipated in the spring of this year. •Weirs Community Park – Work on the restroom / amphitheater building are occurring through the winter. Timber framing has occurred and the interior work is progressing. Site work has been suspended for the winter. • Wyatt Park –Work has been suspended due to winter weather conditions. • Skating Rinks/Sledding Hill - Skating rinks at Leavitt Park, Opechee Cove and Memorial Park have been open for several weeks. Lights are available from sundown to 10pm at Opechee and Memorial Park rinks. Maintenance of the rinks will continue until conditions no longer allow reasonable skating conditions. The sledding hill has been open most of the winter and continues to be a popular activity.  The lights at the hill are also available from sundown to 10pm daily. • Stewart Park/Main Street Bridge project – The Main Street Bridge project is slated to start in March of this year. Due to the proximity of Stewart Park to the bridge project, minor impacts to the park will occur. Most of the park will remain open for the public to enjoy. Pedestrian access through the park and across the bridge will remain throughout the project. • The Huot Center Plumbing and Heating program assisted with repairs to a toilet at Leavitt Park House. The Huot Center continues to be a great community partner. •Meetings that I have attended the last month include City Staff meetings, City Council, Huot Center Advisory Board, WOW Trail Board, Main Street Bridge pre-construction meetings, Special Events Committee, Weirs Community Park Association, Downtown TIF Advisory Board, Laconia Main Street Initiative and Safety Board. Asst. Directors report submitted by Amy Lovisek All programs are going well. The gym is a very busy place, but I am always looking for more programs. If you hear of something new let me know. The Laconia 4th of July Committee has made a couple of decisions regarding the celebration. We are planning to have the fireworks launched from the middle of Smith Field. This should not affect the track or grass in any way. There will be someone from the fireworks company on site with an extinguisher “just in case”. If there is damage that is what insurance is for. The Company that we are working with has never had anything burn like that though. We have also decided on the bands that will be playing. Things are moving forward with this. I have also requested double the money this year for the fireworks so there is no guessing on how much the city will give us for that year. This will help significantly with the planning of our event. I have been working on the Opechee Day Camp and setting things up for the summer. Field trips are set for the most part and we now have the registration online with the ability to pay with a credit card or e-check. This is brand new as of 2/13/14. Almost all programs will have this ability. There are a few that didn’t want to take part in this feature. Thank you to Annie in the IT Department for her hard work in getting this up and running. We had our sledding and ice skating parties last month and they were both well attended. I was pleased with the number of attendees. We are having more parties and activities during February Vacation days. Check out the website to see all our programming. We are even doing a 1st ever cardboard sled race. I am so excited about this. It really should be fun. Come on down and help me judge! After meeting with Joel St. Pierre from O’Brien & Son’s we have decided on a playground the Weirs Community Park. It is quite a unique playground and we will be the only one like it in New Hampshire! I have attached 2 pictures for you. We are planning another Elementary School Age Dance for March 14th. This will have the theme of St. Patrick’s Day and will go from 6:00 – 8:00pm here at the Community Center. I have contacted the PTO’s from the elementary schools and have heard back from 2 so far. This should be a nice event for the kids. The sledding hill and ice rinks (all 4!) are getting some get attention this year and are well used. The lights are on at the hill, Memorial and Opechee ice rinks. All this cold weather and snow has provided well for us!!! 13. DATE OF NEXT MEETING AND ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:45pm and the next meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 17, 2014 at 7:00pm at the Community Center.