Parks & Recreation Commission

LACONIA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING November 19, 2018 Laconia Community Center- Parks & Recreation Office 7:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER: Commissioner Chair Mitch Hamel called the meeting to order at the above date and time. RECORDING SECRETARY: Secretary Liza Kelleher recorded this meeting. ROLL CALL: Commissioner Chair Mitch Hamel called the roll with the following Commissioners in attendance: Rodney Roy, Deanna Guyer, Tony Pederzani and Arthur Kirk. PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF PRESENT: Recreation & Facilities Director Kevin Dunleavy and Secretary Liza Kelleher. ADOPTION OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS: 1. Regular meeting minutes of October 15, 2018 Commissioner Rodney Roy moved to adopt the minutes from October 15, 2018. Seconded by Commissioner Deanna Guyer. The motion passed unanimously. I. OLD BUSINESS: A. Letter from Normand Morin regarding the banners on the green wall at Robbie Mills Field. Commissioners ask the status of the banners at Robbie Mills. Director Kevin Dunleavy said he spoke with Muskrats General Manager Kris Svindland in regards to the banners and the condition of one banner. Director Dunleavy said he was told that the banner would be fixed or removed. Director Dunleavy said it had not been removed or repaired as far as he knew. Commissioner Guyer mentioned that the banner is not fixed yet as of today. Commissioners requested that the Muskrats attend an upcoming meeting to discuss the banners and a general update of the Muskrats. II. FACILITY USE REQUESTS: A. Laconia Motorcycle Week- Weirs Beach- June 12, 2019 (rain date June 13, 14 or 15) from 6:00pm to 10:30pm for the Laconia Motorcycle Week Fireworks. Commissioner Roy motioned to accept the request for a fireworks display at Weirs beach conditioned upon submission of a certificate of insurance. Seconded by Commissioner Pederzani. All were in favor. B. Laconia Motorcycle Week- Opechee Park- Friday, June 14, 2019 from 7am to 3pm for the Annual City of Laconia Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet. Charlie St. Clair said that they might have 5 to 10 vendors in the park. Commissioner Kirk motioned to accept the request and waive the 20lbs propane gas tank regulation. Seconded by Commissioner Guyer. All were in favor.  C. Atlas Fireworks- Weirs Beach- May 25, 2018 6pm to 10pm (rain date May 26) for a fireworks display event. Charlie St. Clair explained that Atlas Fireworks is looking to have a fireworks display competition with the fireworks set off several barges in Weirs Bay. Mr. St. Clair said Atlas is looking to reserve a designated parking area in the parking bay closest to the channel. Mr. St. Clair said Atlas is also looking at having a VIP tent set up in an area of the beach for invited guests. Mr. St. Clair said they would be looking to obtain a loudspeaker permit as well. Director Dunleavy asked if Atlas is looking at serving alcohol as part of this event. Mr. St. Clair said he was not sure but would get back with an answer. Director Dunleavy said further approval would be needed by the Licensing Board and City Council for the serving of alcohol. Director Dunleavy said that this event would need Special Events Committee approval. Commissioner Pederzani motioned to accept the request for the fireworks event conditioned upon further approvals from the City Council and Special Events Committee if needed. Seconded by Commissioner Roy. All were in favor. III. ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS-ROTARY PARK, BEACHES, WEIRS AMPHITHEATER & PAVILION The following request have been approved administratively: 1. The Salvation Army- Opechee Beach, Parking Lot and Laconia Parkhouse- Saturday, November 17, 2018 for the Annual Salvation Army turkey Plunge. Commissioner Roy motioned to remove the request from the table. Seconded by Commissioner Guyer. All were in favor. IV. NEW BUSINESS: 1. Native American Statue-Repair Discussion Laconia resident Peter Brunette told the Commission that he is interested in leading an effort to renovate the Native American statue at Opechee Park. Mr. Brunette said that he understands there is safety issue but asked the Commission to give him some time to coordinate some in-kind services and fundraising with the intention of getting the statue renovated. Commissioner Roy motioned to delay action on the removal of the statue until the January Commission meeting in mid-January when Mr. Brunette can provide an update on the project. Seconded by Commissioner Kirk. All were in favor. 2. Community Center Gym Bleachers – Director Dunleavy explained that the existing bleachers were donated from a local church and they are in poor condition. The Director said they are hard to move in and out and it is very difficult to clean under them. Director Dunleavy said a new bleachers would have wheels allow them to be put anywhere in the gym. Director Dunleavy said he would reach out to the youth basketball league and see if they can assist with the purchase. The Commission said they are favorable to having new bleachers. 3. Laconia Parks and Recreation Rules and Regulations - Director Dunleavy said that the Parks and Recreation Department and Laconia Police Department have been working on changes to the Parks and Recreation rules and regulations. The Director said these changes are intended to address new concerns and clarify certain rules so they are clearer and properly referenced existing ordinances or RSAs. The changes are highlighted as follows:  IN ACCORDANCE with the provisions of Chapter 59-7, 9 and Chapter 216 of the City of Laconia Public Ordinances, the Laconia Parks and Recreation Commission hereby adopts the following rules and regulations for the care, protection, preservation and use of the City parks: 1. Inflatables, life jackets, swim fins, snorkels, and tubes are not permitted in the water. 2. Permits are required for fires, except in park grills or portable grills. For facilities under the jurisdiction of the Parks and Recreation Commission, propane tanks in excess of 5 lbs. are prohibited, unless a waiver is granted by the Parks and Recreation Commission. 3. Removal of or damage to any structure, plant or natural feature within the City’s park areas is prohibited. 4. Changing clothes is permitted only in buildings approved for that purpose. 5. All waste, charcoal and trash must be placed in the containers provided by the City. 6. Animals are not allowed in the water, on the beach or on athletic fields. Animals walked on park property shall be leashed, and owners are responsible to remove all animal feces. (City Ord. Chapter 113) 7. Ball playing, horseshoes, and other similar games are not allowed except in designated areas. Beach balls and other soft rubber balls may be used on the beach at the discretion of the park personnel in charge of the area. 8. In matters of safety and orderliness, persons shall obey all reasonable requests made by park personnel. 9. Persons giving false information or false alarms about swimming, help, and other emergency situations will be subject to prosecution. (RSA 644:3) 10. Missing persons shall be immediately reported to the lifeguard or other park personnel on duty. 11. Park personnel will not assume responsibility of children under 13 left unattended by their parents or guardians. 12. Employees are not permitted to receive tips or gifts. 13. Automobiles, mini bikes, RV’s and all types of motor vehicles are restricted to designated roads and parking areas except by written permit from Parks and Recreation. (City Ord. Chapter 221) 14. State regulations for boats, water skiing and any propelled water craft (150 ft. from all land or swimming ropes) will be enforced in all waters. 15. There will be no overnight camping or parking in any park except by special permit. 16. All parks and beaches shall open at 7:00am and close at 10:00 pm with the exception of Weirs Beach (midnight) and scheduled events approved by the Commission or City Council. 17. Vending and soliciting in the parks, playgrounds or on beaches without a special permit from the Parks and Recreation Commission is prohibited. (City Ord. Chapter 161) 18. Only authorized parks personnel are permitted under the “boardwalk” at Weirs Beach. 19. The use or possession of a chemical substance is prohibited except where authorized by permit. 20. Public swimming is prohibited during swim lesson instruction, except in designated areas. 21. There is absolutely no launching of boats, jet skis, kayaks, canoes or any other water apparatus from a City beach or park except in designated areas. 22. Swimming will only be allowed in designated areas. 23. Admittance to any City beach or park can only be made through a public roadway or walkway. 24. Endicott Rock Park Capacity: At no time shall there be more than 2200 people in the park. 25. Offensive behavior: No person shall engage in any indecent language or loud noise which would be offensive to any reasonable person or engage in any disorderly conduct or behavior tending to breach the public peace. Such behavior can result in expulsion. 26. The use of tobacco, vaping, electronic cigarette products is prohibited in any City recreation area and facility. (City Ord. Chapter 216) 27. Enclosed tents are prohibited in any City recreation area and facility. Shade canopies with open sides are allowed if properly secured. 28. Hammocks are prohibited in any City recreation area and facility. 29. Metal detecting in City recreation areas and facilities is allowed by permit only. Digging is allowed in beach sand areas only. 30. The use of any electrical source at Parks & Recreation facilities is prohibited except by written permission.  Commissioner Pederzani motioned to approve the changes in the Parks and Recreation Rules and Regulations. Seconded by Commissioner Kirk. All were in favor. 31. Lakes Region United Soccer-Facility Use preliminary discussion. Director Dunleavy said he was contacted by Steven Hepburn of Lakes Regions United Soccer Club. The Director said they are a youth travel soccer league that serves youth from Laconia and surrounding towns. Commissioner Guyer said that many kids from Laconia that are part of this team. The Director said the club is looking for fields for practices and games and had inquired about Robbie Mills soccer field. Director Dunleavy said he was expecting a representative from the club to attend the meeting. Director Dunleavy said that soccer can be a problem at Robbie Mills because of baseball activities. The Director said that he would recommend Leavitt Park as a possible location. Director Dunleavy said that the Commission may see future requests from travel team sports as they become more popular. Commissioner Hamel recommended that they fill out a facility use request form and the Commission would evaluate the needs and availability of our fields. V. ANNOUNCEMENTS: VI. NOMINATIONS, APPOINTMENTS & ELECTIONS: VII. PUBLIC COMMENT: VIII. COMMUNICATIONS: IX. OTHER REQUESTS REQUIRING COMMISSION ACTION: 1. December Parks and Recreation Commission meeting- Commissioner Roy motioned to cancel the December Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting. Seconded by Commissioner Guyer. All were in favor. 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 This month has seen the end of our regular programming. Christmas Village has taken over the Community Center! We welcome them with open arms. Things are very different without Armand, but the crew are getting everything done. Our maintenance crew has been helping with the set up as much as we can. The event will run and go on as normal. The programs have been going well. The after school basketball is going well for the middle school and high school days. The elementary hasn’t quite caught on yet. After the village I will have the schools announce it again. All other Community Center programs have done well this fall. Pickleball continues to be a very popular program, as well as Jazzercise and basketball. I have made a big effort as of late to crack down on the maintenance manual. It is a very daunting task and I am a bit overwhelmed when I think of just one aspect, but when done, it will be very useful. It is just very time consuming. B. Directors Report submitted by Kevin Dunleavy Directors Report November 19th, 2018 Department Updates: • Recent maintenance projects and activities include: Work orders/repairs at City Hall, Library, park houses, bath houses LFD and LPD Mowing and trimming Fall Cleanups Trash removal and litter pickup Pet waste bag restocking Irrigation and bathroom shutdowns Infield maintenance Athletic field preparation Christmas Village setup Aeration, over seeding and fertilizing of fields Event support: Making Strides Breast Cancer Event Planting bed cleanup/weeding/mulching Holiday lighting installation Brush clearing Equipment winterizing and winter equipment prep The maintenance staff continue to focus on late fall activities like leaf pickup and winterization of our facilities. Staff is also busy winterizing mowing equipment and prepping winter equipment. With use of the athletic fields occurring into late October, there is little time to prepare athletic fields for the cold season. Aeration, over seeding and irrigation system blowouts are mostly finished. Our remaining seasonal staff will be working up to Thanksgiving. • Events – The bulk of the outdoor events at Parks and Recreation facilities are finished for the season. Making Strides Breast Cancer event at Opechee was the last event of the season. • Weirs Beach Restoration –An update to the City Council on the status of this project is recommended based on the requirement for mitigation of the impacts and the potential cost implications of this mitigation. I will be coordinating with the engineering consultant on an update with the City Council. • Native American Sculpture – I have had discussions with local resident Peter Brunette about his interest in spearheading a renovation of the sculpture. I have asked Mr. Brunette to attend an upcoming Parks and Recreation Commission meeting to discuss the matter. • Bond and Bartlett Beach drainage projects: Final engineering plans are complete and the Bond Beach  project will be going out to bid this fall. • Laconia Downtown Riverwalk – Busby Construction and Belknap Landscape has completed what they can of the Riverwalk segment behind Walgreens. Additional work is behind the Landmark Inn is now expected to be completed in early spring due to weather delays and the current work by the Inn. Construction of the Riverwalk from the City Hall parking lot to Church Street has commenced. A new river wall has been completed along with the installation of the bridge foundation work. The bridge is scheduled to be installed at the end of November. Remaining work includes curbing, paving, fencing and paver installation. • Perley Pond – No updates. We will be performing brush cutting around the pond once the ground freezes. • Opechee Cove Brush Removal – Parks and Recreation staff trimmed and pruned much of the brush growth along Opechee Cove during the drawdown of the lake. Staff also removed brush growing along park areas adjacent to the Winnipesaukee River. • Eagle Scout Projects – Michael Bates recently completed an Eagle Scout project along the Riverwalk greenspace at the City Hall parking lot. Several trees were planted to help enhance this area for many years to come. Thank you Michael. Jake Minor has been working on his Eagle Scout project at Tardif Park House. Jake and his crew completed the reconstruction of the back stairway this past summer. Jake is planning on completing the reconstruction of the access ramp in November. Great work Jake. • Memorial Softball Irrigation System – Gilford Well has been awarded the Memorial Park Softball Field irrigation system project. Work is expected to begin this fall with some finish work to be completed in the spring. • POMC Memorial – I have been in contact with the National POMC organization and they have pledged to fund repairs to the Memorial. This work is anticipated on being completed in the spring. • Parks and Recreation CIP – The Parks and Recreation CIP request was presented to the CIP Committee on October 17th. • Meetings that I have attended the last month include City Council, City Staff Meeting, Special Events Committee, Riverwalk Construction meetings and inspections, DPW Construction Syncronization Meetings, Boy Scout project meetings, construction oversight at the Weirs Community Center bathrooms. XII. PRESENTATIONS XIII. ADJOURNMENT: Commissioner Roy motioned to adjourn at 8:25pm. Seconded by Commissioner Guyer. All were in favor. Respectfully submitted, Liza Kelleher Mitch Hamel Secretary Commissioner Chair This meeting facility is ADA accessible. Any person with a disability who wishes to attend this public meeting and needs additional accommodations, please contact Cheryl Hebert, meeting ADA coordinator, at City Hall by calling (603) 527-1265 at least 72 hours in advance so that the City can make any necessary arrangements.