Recreation & Arena Advisory Commission

Recreation & Arena Commission Meeting April 13, 2026 Recreation Conference Room 1 Attendance: Lauren Krans, Jeff Turgeon, Sheila Colson, Kevin Barry, David Colson; David Camire, Kelli Campbell, Kevin Sullivan, Lexy VanBinsbergen, Rhi Jeffrey, Dale Bickford, Seph Warren, Erika Carty 1. Public Input No public input. 2. Introduction of Commission Member Welcome new member Erika Carty. 3. Review February Minutes Dave Colson motioned to accept. Dale Bickford seconded. Unanimous support. DR AF T 4. Review Revenue & Expense Reports Dale Bickford motioned to accept. Kevin Barry seconded. Unanimous support. 5. Lilac Family Fun Festival Posted Rules Review Director Krans provided a copy of the Lilac Family Fun Festival Rules with proposed changes for this year. The commission discussed the proposed rule of “No equipment or chairs that could damage the grass. This includes tents and umbrellas”. Dave Colson suggested adding no chairs on the track. Kevin Sullivan suggested including examples of what chairs are acceptable. Discussion about adding verbiage about what type of chair is acceptable and not acceptable. Director Krans will update wording and propose new language next month. There will be a public education campaign prior to the event via website and social media to help the public understand the rules. 6. SHARE Fund Bruins Alumni Game Fundraiser Summary Director Krans reviewed the letter from the Share Fund as a follow-up to the event. The Share Fund estimated that the Bruins Alumni game raised approximately $14,000 for their organization. 7. Mission Statement for the Rochester Senior Activity Center Director Krans provided a copy of the Senior Activity Center’s proposed mission statement. She informed the commission that there is a group strategizing on the mission statement as well as 50+ programming for the next five years. These are driven by the Master Plan. Dale Bickford motioned to accept. Dave Camire seconded. Unanimous support. 8. Summer 2026 Public Pool Schedule Recreation Supervisor, Jeff Turgeon, provided a copy of the 2026 Proposed Pool DR AF T Schedule. Director Krans asked the group to review and provide any feedback regarding public accessibility. Dave Camire motioned to accept. Kelli Campbell seconded. Unanimous support. 9. Rochester Arena Facility Exploration Update Director Krans indicated that there is a lot of public excitement surrounding the possibility of a new arena. Weston and Sampson will conduct a needs assessment to include Program and Site Selection Diagram; Site Selection Matrix and Scoring; Site Test fit and Conceptual Layouts. This needs assessment will be funded as part of the FY24 Rochester Arena Facility Assessment. 10. Other Dave Colson thanked the Arena staff that helped prepare the Arena for the Championship Hockey team’s return after they won the game. It was very well organized. He also thanked staff for how quickly the rink at the Common was cleared after each snowstorm. Director Krans discussed the challenges that continue at Hanson Pines Playground and Basketball courts. The area will continue to be closed 8pm-7am daily to allow the Police Department to clear the area. The PD is working on getting a mobile camera unit on site. The Inclusive Playground bid opening occurred last week and received six bids. Staff will be meeting with Rotary later this week to review the bids. Facilities & Operations Supervisor, Ryan Trepanier and Facilities & Operations Attendant, Emelia Lamie, recently met with the Squamanagonic Disc Golf Club to walk Squamanagonic Recreational Area and review projects for the season. Dale DR AF T Bickford inquired about the Bridge Capital Improvement Project. Director Krans explained that at a previous meeting the Commission supported pausing recreation capital projects at Squamanagonic until a long-term plan had been developed for the property. The proposed Community Center Tennis Court Structural Assessment Capital Improvement project is currently pending the acceptance of the budget. Next Meeting is scheduled for May 11, 2026, at 6:00pm – Conference Room 1 at the Community Center.