Parks & Recreation Commission

LACONIA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING Monday, April 17, 2023 Laconia Community Center 6:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER: Commissioner Deanna Guyer called the meeting to order at the above date and time. RECORDING SECRETARY: Secretary Liza Kelleher recorded this meeting. ROLL CALL: Commissioner Guyer called the roll with the following Commissioner in attendance: Laura Ringer and Arthur Kirk. Absent-Mitch Hamel and Rodney Roy. PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF PRESENT: Director of Recreation and Facilities Amy Lovisek, Asst. Director of Recreation and Facilities Matthew Mansur and Secretary Liza Kelleher. ADOPTION OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS: 1. Regular meeting minutes of March 20, 2023 Commissioner Kirk moved to adopt the minutes from the March 20, 2023, meeting. Seconded by Commissioner Ringer. All were in favor. I. FACILITY USE REQUEST FORM: A. Real Life Church – Rotary Park, ramp to river access- Sunday, July 9, 2023, from 12:00pm for water baptism. Commissioner Kirk motioned to table the request due to no representation. Commissioner Ringer seconded. All were in favor. B. Real Life Church- Opechee Point, picnic area and bathrooms- Saturday, August 20, 2023, from 7:30 to 3:00pm for church family picnic/BBQ. Commissioner Kirk motioned to table the request due to no representation. Commissioner Ringer seconded. All were in favor. C. Laconia Multicultural Festival- Rotary Park- Saturday, September 9, 2023, from 10:00am to 3:00pm for the Annual Multicultural Festival. Commissioner Kirk motioned to accept the request listed in the application. Commissioner Ringer seconded. All were in favor. D. Advantage Kids Lakes Region Tennis Associations- Memorial/Leavitt Tennis courts & bathroom-Mondays & Wednesdays. June 26 through August 16, 2023, for Advantage kids’ Free beginner Tennis & Yoga. Commissioner Ringer motioned to accept the request listed in the application. Payment of fees due no later than August 30, 2023. Commissioner Kirk seconded. All were in favor. E. Wayfarer Coffee Roasters- Rotary Park & Gazebo- Saturday, May 20, 2023, from 8:00am to 4:00pm for New England Coffee Festival. Commissioner Kirk motioned to accept the request listed in the application. Commissioner Ringer seconded. All were in favor. F. American Legion Baseball (Wilkins-Smith Post1)- Robbie Mills Baseball Field- Mondays to Saturdays from June 1 through July 31, 2023 (game schedule included in form), for American Legion Baseball Senior and Prep Division. Games to be played at Robbie Mills field and practices at Memorial Park. Commissioner Guyer motioned to accept the  request listed in the application. Commissioner Ringer moved the motion. Commissioner Kirk seconded. All were in favor. G. Lakes Region Community Services- Opechee Park/Shoreline- Saturday, June 3, 2023, from 10:00am to 2:00pm for Fishing with Families. Commissioner Ringer motioned to accept the request listed in the application. Commissioner Kirk seconded. All were in favor. H. Lakes Region Community Services- Tardif Park Playground- Fridays, May 5 to September 29, 2023, from 9:00am to 10:00am for traveling playgroup. Commissioner Kirk motioned to accept the request listed in the application. Commissioner Ringer seconded. All were in favor. I. Laconia School District- Opechee Track/Bathrooms- Tuesday, June 6, 2023, from 7:00am to 2:00pm for Grade 5th annual track meet. Commissioner Kirk motioned to table the request due to no representation. Commissioner Ringer seconded. All were in favor. II. OLD BUSINESS: A. Weirs Community Park Assoc.-Weirs Community back and front parking lot- June 9 to June 18, 2023, Friday to Sunday from 8:00am to 8:00pm for Bike week parking. Commissioner Ringer motioned to accept the request listed in the application. Commissioner Kirk seconded. All were in favor. B. ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS-ROTARY PARK, BEACHES, WEIRS AMPHITHEATER & PAVILION C. NEW BUSINESS: A. Rotary Park planting ($1000.00 request)- Warren Clement requested the money for the maintenance of Rotary Park planting. Commissioner Kirk motioned to accept the request for the planting at Rotary Park using the user fees. Commissioner Ringer seconded. All were in favor. B. Rotary Bandstand roof repair- The Rotary Park Gazebo roof needs repair and we have the quote for the removal and disposal of existing shingles of Rotary Park gazebo. The Rotary Club will be spearheading this project as well as paying for it. D. ANNOUNCEMENTS: E. NOMINATIONS, APPOINTMENTS & ELECTIONS: F. PUBLIC COMMENT: G. COMMUNICATIONS: H. OTHER REQUESTS REQUIRING COMMISSION ACTION: I. PARK ASSOCIATION REPORTS: A. Leavitt Park Association- no report. B. Weirs Community Park Association- No report C. Tardif Park Association- No report  J. DEPARTMENT REPORTS: A. Director’s Report submitted by Amy Lovisek Spring is in the air and it sure is lovely! How nice to have been greeted so kindly by mother nature!! With spring comes ball fields and spring cleanups. The maintenance crew this week have been off the wall with getting things going to get the kids out on the fields as quickly as possible. I would like to publicly thank them all for their hard work. As of today 4/13, all fields are ready to be played on. The additional good news is that last fall the crew did such a good job with the fall cleanups that there is so much less for them to clean up now. This moves them to other areas around the city that need attention. Cheers to Parks & Rec Crew!! I am currently working on writing a grant. This grant will provide the city with a new playground, better walking trail, the new gazebo and inside/outside sound systems all for Leavitt Park. The project will cost $395,000 with the city contributing 15% ($59,250). We are coming up with some cultural activities to host at the park to qualify for the grant. Keep your fingers crossed. Our budget presentation will be held on June 12th at 6:00pm at the Council Chambers if anyone is interested in attending. We have hired a new employee who will be starting April 24th. His name is Alex Breton and I think he will be a great fit for our department. We do have a few staff members taking some time off this month for much-needed vacations. Dane Anderson and I will be attending 2 training courses tomorrow. 1 is supervisor training and the other is how to properly fill out performance evaluations. The department as a whole took a couple of other trainings. An active shooter training and what to do in that situation and an EAP training to learn what is available to us as employees. The netting is up at Memorial Park to protect the property of our neighbors. We do have one neighbor now who is asking us to take it down and do something more efficient. This will not be happening. This is the city’s response to the issue the neighbors were having. We cannot keep all balls in the field of play without a dome and that can’t happen. The City Council is asking our department to move forward with the potential of moving sand at Weirs Beach. If we stay on dry land in our area we will not need a permit for this. If we go into the water, even if it is our area, we will need a major permit and many hoops will need to be gone through. The state does not recommend adding to the jetty as they have found that they are more of a problem than a solution to sand migration. The entire maintenance crew and I along with 2 members of the Conservation Commission met at Bartlett Beach this month to learn about invasive species and how to properly remove and dispose of them. We got 19 bags of debris from the area and still need to do more! The Fourth of July Celebration will be held this year on July 2 nd. This is due to the fact that the fireworks company cannot be at our facility on the 4th and I didn’t want to have the event on a Monday (which is a work day). The Memorial Park Tennis/Pickleball courts will be redone starting the end of June. The company needs 70-degree weather in order to do their job. Spread the word. The Weirs Community Park Community Center and Fire Department will be getting a new ADA front door. This will be happening this spring. B. Assistant Director’s Report submitted by Matt Mansur Beach Prep Lauren will return at Bond Beach as will Hoyt, so we will just be looking for one more lifeguard over at Bond. Skip and Grey will both return at Weirs and I am assuming we’ll have one more returnee also, but we have had far less hits over there than any other position. I am not surprised. Opechee Day Camp We’ve got 141 of 320 Camper Weeks filled so far for this coming season. Kegan will return as the Day Camp Supervisor and we have two girls on the LHS basketball team that will join the team. Kegan has two interested male counselors while we have had an interested possible male counselor from LHS. I am optimistic that we will have ODC fully staffed and fully registered rather soon. Community Center Programs Pickleball has dramatically decreased which is a relief. Now that it is less of a stressor, I do want to share the importance of pickleball for the seniors in our community. This is some of the only socialization that many of our community members are getting and it is awesome that we are able to provide that. Adult Basic Strength and Stretch seems to be going well so far and I look forward to getting feedback from the instructor and the participants. United 603 has finished up their use of the community center as well. All good things from them and they ended their program with a big “real” game with the scoreboards and referees and everything. Easter Egg Hunt The Easter Egg Hunt went awesome. We had a ton of folks join us from around the city and the Leavitt Park Association was incredible yet again. We were particularly thrilled with the amount of participants who went back around the field to pick up the open eggs that were just left. We didn’t need to do any clean up at all. Robbie, Memorial, and long-term planning I think there are some opportunities for some Big Picture planning involving some of our facilities coming up. I am interested in what that process looks like.  C. Foreman’s Report submitted by Dane Anderson COMPLETED Location Project Additional Notes Plumbing- Rowells Returned for complete inspection of line and noted section of Tardiff Orangeburg pipe needing to be replaced. Sledding Hill Closed for season Snow Hauling Leavitt/Opechee- Removal and/or consolidation of piles Opechee Smith Track- Cleared and blown off, openned and removed winter closure gates, Seasonal Trash cans put out. City Hall/River Walk Clear and remove dead tree and limbs for safety and increased visability. Maintenance Garage Vehicles- Installed City Vehicles Only signs in maintenace vehicle parking areas. Snow Operations Walkways- monitored for freeze/thaw ice slicks throughout seasonal transition. Vehicles Cleaning of Maintenance vehicles. Maintenance Garage Restroom Cleaning Supplies and Tools inventoried and restocked Training Employee Assistance Program All Staff Training Pruning Jenn City Hall Carpentry- Remove old plaques and install new plaques and picture frames Gale Library Forestry- Downed Limb removal Plumbing- Responded to report of water leak in ceilinig of childrens room. Determined leak coming from radiant heating system and contracted Gale Library out. Leavitt Tennis- Courts cleared and blown off, pole and nets installed and gates openned. Memorial Forestry- Cut up and removed many downed tree limbs near tennis courts and in softball parking lot Flags Installed new Flags at sports field locations, checked hardware and cabling wear. Training Invasive Species Removal- Bartlett Beach All Staff Weirs Community Park Plumbing- Leaking urinal repaired LCC Carpentry- Install additional handle on new gym garage bay door. LCC Electrical- Lighting- Bulb replacements in restrooms and shower/changing areas. Leavitt Electrical-Lighting- Basketball Court light pole mounting system damaged. Resecured and straightened. Gym Mens Restrooms- . Repair wall damage and complete repainting, replace door stop, resecured soap dispenser, replace leaking faucet, move LCC hand dryer, remove and replace metal below hand dryer with vinyl Grounds RFP Development- Grounds maintenance supplies, bulk materials needs assemebled and put out to bid Maintenance LCC Carpentry- Door- Gym men's room metal door frame pulled off doorway. Snow Removal- Debriefing and compilation of notes, things learned, dos and don’ts, operation adjustments and solutions from year. For future use and Training training. Lift Memorial Storm Damage- Fencing- HB Backstop repaired and netting reinstalled Rented Lift Memorial Baseball- Foul Ball Netting Installed. Batting Tunnel netting installed Rented Memorial Baseball- Field openned and prepped for LMS first Game of season 4/11/2023 Memorial Plumbing- Baseball Concession Plumbing assembled and charged up. All operaional  Opechee Softball- Field openned and prepped for first game of season 4/11/2023 LFD Weirs Plumbing- Replace/repair damage vent stack. Opechee Main Field and Smith Field- Open and Prep for spring sports season Wow Trail Initiall clean up and opening of gates. Colby Plumbing- Concession building- Assmebled and charged up system, checked for issues. All operational Ice Rink- Disassemble rink and store parts and supplies in Leavitt concession room. Take down temporary fencing system. Memorial Leavitt Event- Easter Egg Hunt prep and clean up Vehicles Seasonal Vehicles and trailers moved out of Winter Storage Training Active Shooter Training All Staff Equipment Summerize snowblowers, drain and run out fuel. Water Department Plumbing- Seasonal Meters ordered and picked up. Exterior Lighting Electrical- Exterior lighting timer adjustments, CH and Gale. Staffing Interviews Storm Drainage- Rebuilt sandbag barrier along Elm to divert storm water to storm drain and away from playground. Leavitt LHS Synthetic Field Assist with field lining modifications Snow Fencing along beach removed, initial clean up of debris and downed limbs from winter. Parking lot lights turned on, parking lot ERP gate openned. Sand Bags removed Opechee Forestry- Order placed for Arbor Day tree planting. Equipment Ballfield Groomer PM Servicing for start of season. Adopt A Spot Adopt A Spot list and locations updated, several locations taken over by LP+R, some removed. IN PROGRESS Location Project Additional Notes Maintenance Development of 5S standards- Cleaning and Reorganization of maintenance garage to improve safety, better Each staff member had been designated Shop and Office utilization of space, and create a more organized and productive work space. a section of maintenance garage. Seasonal Plumbing- Prep for charge up. Check and replace any worn or damaged gaskets/diaphragms/valves/etc. Facilities Reinstall flushometers/stop valves/disconnected lines/backflows/meters/tanks/filters/pressure switches. Wyatt/Bartlett Gates- monitior and open daily Trash Seasonal trash cans- clean and place in designated seasonal locations. City Hall Botanicals- City Council Chambers- Plant replacements requested Maintenance Garage Equipment- Inventory mower blades, clean, sharpen, organize, dispose of bad and damaged. Department Wide Trash- Servicing of exterior trash cans throughout parks, trail, and facilities Department Wide Dog Bags- Checking and filling dog bag dispensers Grounds RFP Review- Grounds maintenance supplies, bulk materials Maintenance Gale Memorial Library Electrical- Lighting- Move and update occupancy sensor in Family restroom. Seasonal Restrooms- Inventory and Replace any damaged or missing Trash Cans,TP/Paper Towel/Soap Standardize with same make and model. Dispensers. Distributor no longer supplying product used, working to locate comperable Department Wide replacements LCC Carpentry- Windows- Foreman Office window into gym broken. Occurred over weekend.  Hinge repair/replacement or shimming, City Hall Carpentry- Door to furnace room not operating properly, badly sticking in door jamb. squaring frame possibly needed. Opechee Point Aiming for completion prior to opening Bathhouse Paint- Complete covering and repainting of restrooms. day 4/22 Equipment Summer Seasonal equipment moved from storage locations and prepped for use. Weirs CC Door repair projects and ADA compliance updates Parking Lots Replacing and repositioning parking bumpers and debris clean up Opechee Sports Fields- Prep and repair work for safe usable conditions Robbie Mills Sports Fields- Prep and repair work for safe usable conditions UPCOMING/TBD Location Project Additional Notes Leavitt Playground- Damaged place piece LFD Central Carpentry- Cosmetic cracks in platoon/pantry and admin areas LFD Weirs Electrical- Install Exit sign coming out of back bedroom. LFD Weirs Carpentry- Cosmetic cracks in laundry/gym door ceiling, apparatus area walls, stairway ceiling Electrical- Random wires/cables protruding from sheetrock (walls/ceiling), Patch holes in walls after removing LFD Weirs wiring. City Hall Janitor closet- 1st floor slop sink drain repairs Tardif Plumbing- Replace toilet tank fills, Upgrade to fast fill valves ERP Parking Lot- Entry gate modifications to allow ease of operation. Memorial Storm Damage- Fencing- HB Backstop LFD Weirs Plumbing- Replace/repair damage vent stack. Electrical- Lighting- Replace light between public restroom with broken/missing lens City Hall cover. LCC Electrical- Gym Lights - Bulb/Ballasts replacements needed Gym closure and Scaffolding set up required. Roof/Gutter- Requested to have gutter moved out to better collect rain. debris in Consider snow fall prevention over front door, continual problem Goss corners removed and safety concern in winter. Goss Carpentry- Seal hole around oil fill pipe. Electrical- Lighting- Light fixture replacement (front door exterior), Bulb replacement Goss needed (side building exterior) Office Create additional PM work orders to assist with maintenance schedule Maintenance Garage Waste Removal- Electronic and hazardous waste removal. tube light bulbs, ballasts, batteries, old liquid fert., Maintenance Garage Keys- go through and organize. City Hall Elevator- Monitor for reported faults. Weirs CP Electrical- Replace lighting timer for park/paths/pavilion. All Facilities Plumbing- Shut Offs - Update/Tag/Label/Location List Seasonal Electrical- Mark and label circuits to be shut off/turned on with seasonal opening and Facilities winterization Plumbing- Plum in washing machine in decontamination room. Connect to existing LFD Central plumbing for utility sink. Bond Beach Plumbing- Pump System reconfiguration/solution to restore water supply. Paint- Complete repainting of restrooms, including drywall repairs and cove basin Robbie Mills replacement Opechee Skate Park Landscape- finish grading, compost and seed. Post lighting construction repair work. K. PRESENTATIONS L. ADJOURNMENT: Commissioner Guyer motioned to adjourn at 7:40pm. Seconded by Commissioner Ringer. All were in favor. Respectfully submitted, Liza Kelleher Deanna Guyer Secretary Commissioner