Park & Recreation Commission

CITY OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS JEAN A. LEVESQUE COMMUNITY LIFE CENTER 401 Bridge Street, Salem MA 01970 Tel. (978) 744-0180/(978) 744-0924 Robert McCarthy Fax (978) 219-1665 ACTING MAYOR Trish O’Brien Superintendent MINUTES OF THE SALEM PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION FEBRUARY 21, 2023 A meeting of the Salem Parks and Recreation Commission was held on February 21, 2023, at 6:45 p.m., in person at 401 Bridge Street and via remote participation in accordance with Chapter 107 of the Act of 2022. Present were: Chair, Amy Everitt; Members: Deborah Amaral, Bob Callahan, Johnel Roberts and James Shea; Trish O’Brien, Superintendent and Commission Clerk Joanne Roomey. Ms. Everitt called the meeting to order at 6:45 p.m. 1. Approval of Park and Recreation Commission Minutes January 17, 2023 Mr. Callahan made a motion to approve the Park and Recreation Commission Minutes meeting of January 17, 2023. Ms. Amaral seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. 2. Visitors and Requests: • Julie Barry, City of Salem - Year long art displays (7) along Leslie’s Retreat Pathway Julie Barry, Senior Planner, Arts & Culture from the City of Salem wants approval to display seven sculptural works of art along the edges of the walking path at Leslie’s Retreat from April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024. The commission wanted to make sure that none of the sculptures would interfere with the Farm Coop that is there from June through October. Ms. Barry assured the commission that the display is not near the Farm Coop and she has and will continue to work with DPS on the specific installation procedures and locations to ensure safety for the public and not to damage any underground infrastructure. Any disruption to the grounds will be restored to their original state once the sculptures are removed. There being no further questions or comments regarding this matter, Mr. Callahan moved to approve the yearlong, seven art displays, along Leslie’s Retreat Pathway. Ms. Amaral seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. 1 • Ray Jodoin, City of Salem – Planting plans for Gonyea and Broad Street Parks Mr. Jodoin appeared with two planting plans. He showed a diagram of his plan to plant trees at Broad Street Park. He also showed a list of existing, proposed trees and the removal of trees at Gonyea Park. He thanked DCR and the Tree Commission for their help with identifying the species of trees to be planted and which ones should be removed. David Knowlton, the City’s Engineer, has approved the planting of trees at Gonyea Park. Flora Tonthat of 30 North Street said Gonyea Park lives right down the street. She has been working with Ms. Melis and Ms. Cottrell. She said people are cutting down so many trees on their private properties in the area and this is why this project is so important to get trees in a safe environment for them to thrive. There being no further questions or comments regarding this matter, Ms. Amaral moved to approve the planting plans for Gonyea Park and Broad Street Park. Mr. Callahan seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. • Kim Emerling, City of Salem in coordination with Mass National Guard – Common - First Muster – April 22, 2023 (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) Joe Cole, a Salem Veteran Commander from 75 Proctor Street appeared and said the First Muster Ceremony, Pass in Review and Cannon Salute will basically be the same as last year’s event. The National Guard will land the helicopter and there will be an Air Force flyover with F-15. Mr. Cole will be meeting with Mr. Emerling later this week to go over the details. Milo Martinez, an attendee, said he does appreciate the encouragement of the National Guard and the Muster, but going forward if we could consider doing something different. There being no further questions or comments regarding this matter, Mr. Shea moved to approve the use of the Common for the First Muster on April 22, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Mr. Roberts seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. • Gordon Bowman, North Shore Concert Band – Willows Summer Concert Series - Tuesdays from 7/11/23 to 8/15/23 (7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.) Gordon Bowman appeared to get permission to have their Annual Summer Concert Series at the Willows. Mr. Shea said they have been doing this for years and how much everyone enjoys the concerts. There being no further questions or comments regarding this matter, Mr. Shea moved to approve the use of the Willows for the Summer Concert Series, Tuesdays from 7/11/23 to 8/15/23 at 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Mr. Roberts seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. • Maryanne Askwyth - HAWC – Common – June 4, 2023 (10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) Ms. Askwyth appeared and asked to use the Common for the 31st Walk and Run for HAWC. There will be family fun, children’s activities and races. They will have Kelly’s Roast Beef there too. Basically, the same as they have been doing. 2  There being no further questions or comments regarding this matter, Mr. Shea moved to approve the use of the Common on June 4, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Mr. Roberts seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. • Carol Meyer, YMCA – Witch City 5k – Salem Willows – October 14, 2023 (7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.) Carol Meyer from 25 Amherst Road in Beverly appeared and said the Witch City 5 K Road Race is the same as the past with no changes. There being no further questions or comments regarding this matter, Mr. Callahan moved to approve the use of the Salem Willows for Witch City 5 K Road Race on October 14, 2023, from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Mr. Roberts seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. • Deborah Frisch + Dana Spigelman – Wedding Ceremony - Common Shell – July 22, 2023 (4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) Deborah Frisch and Dana Spigelman appeared from 345 Harrison Avenue in Boston are getting married and wanted to have their wedding ceremony at the Common Shell. They will have a maximum of 100 chairs for the event. The wedding reception is at the Hawthorne Hotel. There being no further questions or comments regarding this matter, Mr. Shea moved to approve the use of the Common Shell on July 22, 2023, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mr. Roberts seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. • Clam Shack Review Proposal Submitted in Response to RFP for Lease of Restaurant Space at Salem Willows and Vote to Authorize Superintendent to execute Lease on behalf of Commission for the Restaurant Space Angelo Meimeteas appeared of 30 Cloverdale Ave and said he has been at the Clam Shack for the past nine years. He is proposing alterations or renovations to the building to improve the outdoor seating area by building an ADA-compliant patio subject to the approval of the Building Inspector and the commission. In addition, he wants to explore the installation of an awning to cover the seating so customers might enjoy the area during inclement weather. He also employs youths living in the Plummer Home, donates yearly to schools and food pantries and sponsored the Mental Health Awareness 5K Race, Mental Makeover in Salem. Mr. Meimeteas went through the RFP process. There being no further questions or comments regarding this matter, Mr. Shea moved to authorize superintendent to execute the Lease on behalf of the commission for restaurant space. Mr. Roberts seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. 3. Superintendents Report: Alan Hanscom emailed correspondence regarding Common/ Fiesta Shows/Food Truck Mr. Hanscom suggested having the city create a document that states who is responsible for certain things, such as the bandstand, west entrance, cobblestones, food trucks or vendors. He also expressed his concerns regarding the damage to the grass on the Common and was hoping the commission could get control over the situation so the grass would not be destroyed again. Councilor McClain reinforced what Mr. Hanscom said. The commission said that DPW takes 3  responsibility for maintaining and fixing damages at the Commons. Funds collected from outside groups for rentals or agreements are put into the Salem Common Funds to help defray the cost of maintenance in addition to the City budget. Councilor Watson-Felt said vendors and visitors should keep in mind that Salem is a historic space and we should consider mandating the use of our space. Possibly widening the paths, controlling loads in and out and designating parking spots. Ms. Amaral said we gave the right of use to the city for Heritage Day and October for these special events and should have a meeting beforehand to discuss vendors and parking at the commons. We should invite the city councilors to attend and we want to make sure we are consistent will ALL parks including Winter Island. Ms. O’Brien went over the Golf Court Revenue and Fund Balances. Mr. Callahan was concerned if they changed the way they do the figures since the percentages differed significantly from last year. Ms. O’Brien thinks it is partly due to when the funds are deposited. She will speak to Anna Freeman, the Finance Director, to see if is a better type of report that is easier to compare and invite her to a future meeting. 4. Old Business: None 5. New Business: None 6. Adjournment: There being no further business to come before the Salem Park and Recreation Commission this evening, Ms. Amaral moved to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Mr. Callahan. The meeting was adjourned at 7:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Joanne M. Roomey Commission Clerk Know your rights under the Open Meeting Law M.G.L. c. 30A §18-25 and City Ordinance Sections 2-2028 through 2-2033 4