Recreation & Community Services Commission

RECREATION & COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 MEETING 5:00 PM MINUTES RECREATION & COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION – In attendance: Jeanette Blackwell, Leslie Spatola, Harold Panciera, Sowgol Zakarian, Dan DeConti, Rogers Pylant, Betsy Bielefield, Tami Kapacziewski, Kristen Jensen, Lincoln Everest Absent: Andrea Dallas Staff: Cathy Lechowicz, Director AGENDA: Call Meeting to Order: Meeting called to order at 5:00pm. Public Hearing: No members of public in attendance. Approval of the Minutes: Dan DeConti made a motion to approve minutes from June 20th, 2024. Lincoln Everest seconded. Approved unanimously. NEW BUSINESS: Summer Updates- Two biggest summer programs are Summer Camp and Aquatics. Summer Camp- We service about 320 campers a week, hosted at 4 or 5 different sites, depending on the week. We awarded about $36,000 in scholarships, $30,000 of that came from state grants. We also accepted a subsidy from Care4Kids, about $18,000. Summer Camp employed about 170 people, predominately from Middletown, roughly 16-20 years old. Veterans Pool- The policy that we put in place was very successful. Both employees and residents said it ran very efficiently. Overall, there were 6920 visits to pool, of that 91% residents, 8.5% non-residents. Revenue was about $15k to $20k, don’t have exact number yet. Incredibly successful summer! Sports Grants Applications/Rubric Development- Create a small sub-group to develop a rubric to help assess sports grants for next year. Meet twice over next two months, bring back for November meeting. Applications go live typically around December 15th, date is flexible. OLD BUSINESS: Department Updates Recreation- ARPA funds must be encumbered by December 1st, 2024. Meeting with Russell Library and Arts Dept. over the next 2 months to ensure all funds are used in the best possible way. As part of grant with Russell Library, they’re partnering with the Dolly Parton Foundation, which is dedicated to promoting literacy in young kids. They provide a new book to every child in Middletown, birth to 5 years old, once a month, mailed right to their house. Registration will be done with Rec Center. Senior- September is Senior Center Month! Highlights include Early Bird Dinner, Big E Trip, and Picnic at Crystal Lake. New memberships are on the rise, looking to put together a survey to get feedback on current programs and what seniors are looking for. Congregate lunch program has been wonderful, Future’s Inc. has been lovely! It is going out to bid in the spring, as the current provider is just a bridge. MISCELLANEOUS: Yoga in the City- Not our program, just a host. Lots of positive feedback, couple bumps in the road, but seems to be going well. ADJOURNMENT Tami Kapacziewski made a motion to adjourn, Kristen Jensen seconded. Approved unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 5:25pm.