Parks & Recreation Commission

LACONIA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING April 18, 2016 Laconia Community Center- Parks & Recreation Office 7:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER: Commission Chair Mitch Hamel called the meeting to order at the above date and time. RECORDING SECRETARY: Secretary Liza Kelleher will be recording this meeting. ROLL CALL: Commission Chair Mitch Hamel called the roll with the following Commissioners in attendance: Tony Pederzani, Arthur Kirk and Deanna Guyer and Rodney Roy. Parks & Recreation staff in attendance: Recreation and Facilities Director Kevin Dunleavy, Parks & Recreation Secretary Liza Kelleher. ADOPTION OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS: 1. Regular meeting minutes of March 21, 2016 Commissioner Rodney Roy moved to adopt the minutes from the March 21, 2016. Seconded by Commissioner Tony Pederzani. The motion passed unanimously. I. OLD BUSINESS: A. Winnipesaukee Muskrats- request to have an event tent area with beer and wine sales. Kristian Svindland, General Manager of the Winnipesaukee Muskrats handed out a site plan sketch of the requested a 20x30 tent area and area enclosed by barricade fencing for the serving of alcohol for a capacity of 100 people. Mr. Svinland said they are looking at covering the barrier fencing with covers that can be funded by sponsors. Commissioner Hamel asked if the covers would be blank. Mr. Svinland explained that he prefers to have sponsors for the covers that would have company logos with the understanding that the covers would have appropriate sponsors. Kristian explained that the area would have a grill and will be serving beer, wine and food. Kristian said there will be one entrance and one exit and there will still be room for cars to get by. Commissioner Hamel asked if the fence height will be required to be a certain height. Kristian said the fencing shown will be adequate. Kristian said they have received Licensing Board approval and they will be seeking City Council approval. Commissioner Hamel asked if there would be any other vendors. Kristian said they only have lined up Happy Cow ice cream. Commissioner Hamel asked if the tent would be permanent. Kristian said it would be there for the season and would be anchored down. Kristian said he is meeting with Taylor Rental in the next few days to look at the setup of the tent. Asked if the area will be lit. Kristian said there is no intent to light the area and they plan to be done by 8:30 or the middle of the eighth inning, whatever comes first. They will be serving at 5pm at the earliest for corporate events. Svinland said there would be a four drink limit. The area would be  managed by the 405 Restaurant. Mr. Svinland further explained that the Liquor Commission has been notified and they require a site inspection once the area is set up. Commissioner Hamel asked if there are any other fees. Kevin said that all vendors are required to get vending permits. Commissioner Hamel stated that Parks and Recreation Commission should have more input on vending and banner activities. Kevin Dunleavy recited the language in the Muskrats agreement regarding vending. Commissioner Guyer also mentioned that Parks & Recreation Commission should have a copy of the list of all the vendors. Mitch Hamel suggested an annual review and renewal of the facility use request. Commissioner Hamel also stated that the revised agreement with the Muskrats be approved by the City Council and that the effort to complete the deck be ongoing. Commissioner Hamel also said any approvals be subject to Liquor Commission approval and ongoing communications in regards to vendors on the City property. Commissioner Roy motioned to accept the request to have an event tent area with beer and wine sales conditioned upon City Council approval of a revised agreement, annual review of the facility use agreement, ongoing effort to complete the observation deck, Liquor Commission approval and ongoing communications about vending activities. Seconded by Commissioner Pederzani. All were in favor. B. Policy on Facility Use Requests/Approvals needing City Council action. Commissioner Hamel asked the Commission to review and digest the proposal to streamline the approval process. Kevin Dunleavy discussed to the Commissioners the proposed policy and criteria for Parks & Recreation Facility use requests that will be needing City Council approval. Kevin said there is grey area and a desire to clarify the inconsistencies with some of the facility use requests that need to go to the City Council for further approval. Kevin Dunleavy said there are minor events that likely do not rise to the level of needing Council involvement. Kevin also said there are also some major events that do not see Council involvement and likely should. Commissioner Mitch Hamel suggested that some administrative approvals be made by the City Manager or Kevin and don’t need to go to the City Council. Bob Hamel said there not going to be any changes for the Commission, but the type of request that go the Council could change. Suggestions will be discussed at the next Commission meeting. C. Grace Capital Church- Wyatt Park- August 1st through 4, 2016 from 9am to 1pm for a Missional Vacation Bible School. Commissioner Roy motioned to table the request due to no representation. Seconded by Commissioner Pederzani. All were in favor. D. Boys & Girls Club of the Lakes Region- Memorial Park Tennis Court- June 24 through August 26, 2016, Fridays from 10:00-11:30am for a summer camp tennis program with Lakes Region Tennis Assoc. Mariah Hoffmann explained that they have a maximum of 70+ kids from the camp that will be participating in the tennis lessons. Commissioner Roy motioned to accept the request conditioned upon payment of any non-resident users’ fee. Seconded by Commissioner Pederzani. All were in favor. E. Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce- Various public park spaces in Downtown area including Rotary Park, Veterans Park and the Gateway Park for the NH Pumpkin Festival- Friday, October 21st, 2016 8am through Saturday, October 22, 2016, @  midnight. Commissioner Pederzani motioned to accept the request for the use of various park spaces conditioned upon payment of a special event fee and certificate of insurance. Seconded by Commissioner Kirk. All were in favor. II. FACILITY USE REQUESTS: A. NH Bass Nation- Bartlett Beach- Saturday, October 1, 2016 from 8am to 5pm for NHIAA High School Bass Fishing Championship. Commissioner Guyer motioned to accept the request and waive the special event fee for the NHIAA High School Fishing championship. Seconded by Commissioner Roy. All were in favor. B. Lakes Region Waterski Enthusiasts- Opechee Point- Sunday, August 7, 2016 from 10am to 4pm for Lakes Region Waterski Boat Classic. Commissioner Roy tabled the request due to no representation. Seconded by Commissioner Kirk. All were in favor. C. Laconia Slow Pitch Softball- Memorial Softball Field- April 15~ December 1, 2016, Mondays to Fridays from 6pm~11Pm, Saturdays & Sundays 7am to 11pm for adult slow pitch softball. Commissioner Roy motioned to accept the request conditioned upon submission of non-resident users’ fee, certificate of insurance, storage fee, pre-payment of light fee and key deposit if needed. Seconded by Commissioner Pederzani. All were in favor. D. Faith Alive Christian Fellowship- Memorial Baseball Field- Saturday, May 28, 2016 from 7::00am to 6:00pm for a Children’s Carnival. Commissioner Guyer motioned to accept the request and waiver for the use of 20lb propane gas tanks. Seconded by Commissioner Pederzani. All were in favor. E. Laconia Public Library- WOW Trail- Saturday, May 14, 2016 from 10am to 12pm for Awareness Walk from Gale to Goss Library. Commissioner Roy motioned to accept the request. Seconded by Commissioner Kirk. All were in favor. F. Lakes Region Community Services- Opechee Park- Saturday, June 4, 2016 from 10am to 2pm for “Fishing with Father Figures” event. Commissioner Pederzani motioned to accept the request and waiver for the use of 20lb. propane gas tanks. Seconded by Tony Pederzani. All were in favor. G. East Coast Watercross LLC- Endicott Rock Park and Beach – June 3~5, 2016 from 9am to 7pm for East Coast Watercross Tour 2016 Rounds 1 & 2. Commissioner Hamel said the request has been withdrawn. III. ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS-ROTARY PARK, WEIRS AMPHITHEATER & PAVILION The following wedding requests for Rotary Park have been approved administratively: a) Shannon Stottlar & Dana Greenwood Jr. Wedding- Saturday, May 20, 2017 from 4:00pm-8:00pm for a wedding ceremony. IV. NEW BUSINESS: a) Happy Tails Dog Park-Request for approval to construct and manage a dog park on the Spruce Street parkland. Kevin Dunleavy said the Commission has a formal  request letter from Happy Tails Dog Park. Ginny Martin, President of Happy Tails Dog Park explained that they have been trying to build a dog park in the area for many years. They are now looking to move forward with construction. Ginny explained that the group has received a generous that will allow them to build the park along with funding for the establishment of a trust fund for future park maintenance. Ms. Martin further explained that there will be an agreement with the City regarding the dog park. Ginny Martin said that they have received approval from the various other departments and are going through the Planning Board process. Commissioner asked Kevin Dunleavy to update the Commission on the history of the project since there are new Commissioners. Kevin said he had been helping the group with the process. Kevin said the dog park area will encompass around 2 acres of the 25 acre property. Kevin said the access will be off of Growtth Road. Kevin further said there will be a gravel parking lot for around 20 cars accessed by a driveway under the powerline. Kevin said a local engineer, Jon Rokeh, has graciously created engineering plans including a drainage basin. Kevin said the enclosures will be with chain link fence while trying to keep the area in its natural state. Kevin said other features will include dumpsters, walkway, and trash barrels but will have no lighting and will operate 7am to 10pm. Kevin said the City is working on an agreement with Happy Tails Dog Park which will be similar to the arrangement that Manchester has. Kevin said that the City can remove the park if it is no longer maintained. Kevin said there is a pledge for $50,000 for construction and $50,000 for a maintenance trust fund. Commission Hamel said the Commission’s role is to acknowledge their interest in using the park in addition to the Planning Board process and the City Council finalizing the agreement. Commissioner Hamel stated he would like to see language in the agreement that the group submit a facility use request annually so there is opportunity to be informed on what is occurring at the park. Ms. Martin also said the group will continue to raise funds to supplement the dog park expenses. Kevin recommended that the approval be for the use and management of a dog park on the Spruce Street land conditioned upon an agreement with the City, Planning Board approval, and review of the agreement by the Commission and annual review of the facility use. Commissioner Roy motioned to accept the request for the construction of a dog park with the conditions stated. Seconded by Commissioner Guyer. All were in favor. V. ANNOUNCEMENTS: VI. NOMINATIONS, APPOINTMENTS & ELECTIONS: VII. PUBLIC COMMENT: VIII. COMMUNICATIONS: IX. OTHER REQUESTS REQUIRING COMMISSION ACTION: X. PARK ASSOCIATION REPORTS:  A. Leavitt Park Association –no report B. Weirs Community Park Association- No report C. Tardif Park Association- no Report XI. DEPARTMENT REPORTS: A. Asst. Directors Report submitted by Amy Lovisek During this month I finished the summer program brochure. You all have one in your packet. As always, if you can think of any new programs that may be nice to offer, let me know. I finished the Adopt-A-Spot brochure as well this month. I have added this to your packet too. This will be updated weekly online if any new spots have been adopted. The info has not only been on our website, but in the Laconia Links newsletter and in the Laconia Daily Sun. We have had some interest in the program. Let’s talk it up to get more people involved. The City of Laconia has received the Tree City award for the 26th year! I also applied for the Growth Award this year and did receive it for the first time! Laconia is the only city in NH that has this award! Go Laconia! We have placed our seasonal employment ad into the paper. We need people in every position this summer. I attended a job fair at the Belknap Mall this past Thursday. It went fairly well. If you know anyone looking for a summer job, send them our way. We have changed the Weirs Collector position to have more responsibility this summer. We are asking them to not only take in the parking fees, but also to do some maintenance of the park facility. They will be emptying trash containers, picking up trash, restocking the bathrooms and more. We are paying the position more to compensate. The work order software is taking longer than originally thought. The planned maintenance is a lot. We are now ordering the phones for the crew and moving forward. I am looking into our parks department becoming a part of Parks for Monarchs. This will only include planting plants that the butterflies like. Let’s see what we can do for the beautiful creatures. B. Directors Report submitted by Kevin Dunleavy Department Updates: • Recent maintenance projects and activities include: Sanding and salting of walkways Various work orders at City Hall, Library, park houses, LFD and LPD Athletic Field preparations Spring cleanups  Trash removal Pet waste bag restocking Oil checks at various facilities Lining for track and field events Bathroom startups  Infield work at Memorial Park baseball and Colby Field  Winter equipment storage/mower prep.  Trash/recycle barrel placement •Most athletic fields are now open for use. Even with the little snowfall this winter, the spring weather presented a challenge with getting fields open with late season snow, cold temperatures and rain. Bobotas Field is experiencing wet conditions likely due to the level of compaction of the sub-base materials. •WOW Trail – Bids for construction were opened for Phase 2 of the WOW Trail. The low bid was lower than the budget for construction. The bids are being reviewed for compliance and the work is expected to be awarded in the near future. Several items relating to traffic, parking and easements will be addressed at the City Council level prior to construction. •Memorial Park – infield improvements have been completed on the baseball field. I am meeting with the potential scoreboard donor on April 21st to work out some details. We had a water service break in the road that has caused some delays with the irrigation work. DPW and Water Works have repaired the damaged road and we are looking at other options for a source of water for the irrigation. Press box work is expected this spring with volunteers affiliated with the American Legion baseball program. • Seasonal Staffing – Positions for seasonal maintenance and waterfront staff have been advertised. Because we are having minimal response, we are trying some different ways to get potential employees interested. Amy participated in a job fair this past week with marginal results. Please get the word out that we are looking for seasonal staffing. • Weirs Beach water quality – I met with a representative from the USGS about a water quality monitoring program at Weirs Beach. The program will involve a weather station and monitoring buoy to help identify and predict water quality conditions in the area. Stay tuned for more information. •Happy Tails Dog Park – Representatives of the Happy Tails Dog Park group has presented plans to the City Council for a dog park on the Spruce Street parkland. A significant donor has stepped forward to help fund construction and maintenance of the dog park. The group has also started the Planning Board approval process by submitting plans to the Technical Review Committee. Parks and Recreation Commission approval for this dog park will be needed. • Meetings that I have attended the last month include City Staff meetings, Technical Review Committee, Special Events Committee, Master Plan Advisory Team, Memorial  Irrigation pre-bid, Tardif Park Volunteers, CVS Proposed Park and TAP Grant Projects. I also attended the annual UNH Cooperative Extension Turf and Grounds Conference in Manchester. XII. PRESENTATIONS XIII. ADJOURNMENT: Commissioner Roy motioned to adjourn at 8:31pm. Seconded by Commissioner Guyer. All were in favor. Respectfully submitted, Liza Kelleher Mitch Hamel Secretary Commission Chair