Mine Falls Park Advisory Committee

Mine Falls Park Advisory Committee- March 4, 2013 Minutes ATTENDEES: Greg Andruskevich, Peter Testa, Nick Caggiano, Richard Gillespie, Mark Soucy, Ed Moran, Carol Rust, Pam Anderson, Sherm Sewell, Mike Dillon, David Silva: Guests: Dave Wendt. TOPIC LEAD DISCUSSION / CONCLUSIONS 1. Call to order Greg: - Meeting called to order by committee chairman Greg Andruskevich at 7 p.m. at DPW Bldg. - Motion to accept and place on file the minutes for Feb. 4 20213 as submitted. Passed unanimously. 2. Park/Rec Nick - Getting prices for jackets and hats. - Paving contract (including raising the Whipple St. "under water" area) moving along, pre-bid meeting with other city projects will be held this week. - Cell tower repair required Nick to limit the size of equipment to be used and permission given to clear Whipple Street bridge...dual wheeled pickup truck used to repair a problem. - Going over bids for canal clean-up of limbs and branches. If bids under $10,000 won't have to go to Finance for approval. Looking at $1,200 fee daily and would cover eight days of work. Not sure if the clean-up could be done in that amount of time. Contractor would use a bucket loader and winch to remove logs and chipping would be done in place. - Dick Gillespie noted that with the Broad Street Parkway a new outfall would be needed and the water level in the canal would have to be lowered. Nick to check with city engineer to see of this could tie-in with cleaning of canal when water is at a low point. - Thirty picnic tables have been built and Nick has been assured the goal of 40 will be reached before spring. - Passed out samples of what inserts for new signs would look like on the concrete signs, working on font styles. -Six of eight kiosks completed and ready for placement in the spring. 3. Chairman's notes Greg - March 30 walk through of the park will be held at 9 a.m. with all meeting at the Conway Boat ramp parking area. Nick will bring his van. Red Trail, Blue Trail and Purple trail among sites to be given close attention. Greg will send a reminder to all. - In lieu of receiving a communication from the mayor's office regarding following the proper chain of command regarding park issues, Greg had former chairman Peter Testa offer guidance. "There has been a downshift in the past few years when committee members chose to act on problems without going through proper channels and/or steps which is to contact the Chairperson first and he or she will contact Nick. We don't take matters into our own hands. Nick has the absolute say on all matters. We as a committee are just an in-house ADVISORY committee with absolutely NO POWER to make decisions. We can advise but that is as for as it goes. Nick has always been very good about accepting our bits of advice which shows an excellent working relationship. Remember we can advise, as our title says but we cannot rule! Ruling is Nick's realm." - Greg told of two possible pedestrian bridges being built, one from the Mohawk Tannery site the other by Gate City Fence. - Pam and Mike working on Gatehouse rehearsal presentation sometime in April when interior of Gatehouse is cleaned for tours during trail days. - Mike still trying to contact EMS. - Greg presented paintover expert Ed Moran with a tube of graffiti remover. - Mark spoke of the missing mutt mitt dispenser at the high school entrance and how the dispenser at the Millyard entrance by Gate City Fence has re-appeared on a tree. Nick to look into replacing both.  2013 Meetings: Jan 7, Feb 4, March 4, April 1 , May 6, June 3, No July meeting, Aug 5, Sept. 9, Oct.7, Nov. 4 , Dec 2, Jan. 6, 2013 WEB SITE: http://www.gonashua.com  2013 Trail Days April 21, May 18 , June 15, No July Trail Day, Aug. 17, Sept. 21, Oct.19, Possible Volunteer Day Nov. 16 Page 1 of 2  Mine Falls Park Advisory Committee- March 4, 2013 Minutes ATTENDEES: Greg Andruskevich, Peter Testa, Nick Caggiano, Richard Gillespie, Mark Soucy, Ed Moran, Carol Rust, Pam Anderson, Sherm Sewell, Mike Dillon, David Silva: Guests: Dave Wendt. TOPIC LEAD DISCUSSION / CONCLUSIONS 4. Old Business All. - Nick to check prices for purchase of a new Polaris expected to be in the $10,000 to $12,000 range. - Cove fence removal seen as a capital expense along with placing more birdhouses on fence poles. Will be looked at during the walk through. - Kayak access and kayak flotilla being examined b y Carol Rust. She hopes to be kayaking (cleaning) the canal by March 19, the same as last year. Looking for logical places to launch kayaks on will be checked during the walk- though. - Still working on fine points of coloring book project at the Gatehouse and storage of materials. Mike mentioned the Gatehouse open signs should be covered as they get covered with growth while stored in the building. 5. New business All - Placing of historic swimming hole sites along the canal on a map to be examined. - Proposed April Trail Day projects include cleaning of the Triangle and preparation for phase 2 of Red Trail revamping. - Cleaning of birdhouses also. - Archeologists Ed and Greg will spend some time in reclaiming Second Street area of canal on Trail days or other weekends when they are available. 6. - The meeting was adjourned at 7:55 p.m.  2013 Meetings: Jan 7, Feb 4, March 4, April 1 , May 6, June 3, No July meeting, Aug 5, Sept. 9, Oct.7, Nov. 4 , Dec 2, Jan. 6, 2013 WEB SITE: http://www.gonashua.com  2013 Trail Days April 21, May 18 , June 15, No July Trail Day, Aug. 17, Sept. 21, Oct.19, Possible Volunteer Day Nov. 16 Page 2 of 2