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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-02-28-REC-min Town of Lexington Recreation Committee Frederick DeAngelis, Chairman Tel: (781) 698-4800 Christian Boutwell, Vice Chair Fax: (781) 861-2747 Carl Fantasia Lisa O’Brien Claire Sheth Renen Bassik Weiwei Li Recreation Committee Minutes of Meeting February 28, 2024 A meeting of the Recreation Committee was held on Wednesday, February 28, 2024 in person and via Zoom as a hybrid meeting at 6:30pm in the Parker Room of the Lexington Town Office Building. Members Present: Rick DeAngelis, Renen Bassik, Carl Fantasia, Weiwei Li, Lisa O’Brien, and Claire Sheth Members Not Present: Christian Boutwell Staff Present: Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, Christine Dean, Community Center Director, Kate DeAngelis, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, Chris Filadoro, DPW Superintendent of Public Grounds, Laura Perry, Recreation Supervisor, and Dave Pinsonneault, DPW Director Others Present: Suzie Barry (Select Board liaison), Rod Cole (Capital Expenditures Committee liaison), Doreen Karoll (76 Bloomfield Street, Lexington), Eileen Jay (191 Waltham Street, Lexington),Tom Libretto (12 Cooke Road, Lexington), Allison Lynch (10 Bloomfield Street, Lexington), Sanjay Padaki (Appropriation Committee liaison), Bob Pressman (22 Locust Avenue, Lexington), and Leslie Wilcott-Henrie (70 East Street, Lexington) 1. Public Comment – None 2. December 2023 and January 2024 Meeting Minutes Renen Bassik moved to approve the minutes from the December 14th meeting and Weiwei Li seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve this motion. Claire Sheth moved to approve the minutes from the January 17th meeting and Weiwei Li seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve this motion. 3. Lexington Farmers’ Market 2024 Request Leslie Wilcott-Henrie, Board President of the Lexington Farmers’ Market (LFM), presented an update on the 2023 season and proposal for 2024. A copy of the LFM update is attached to the meeting minutes. Ms. Wilcott-Henrie thanked Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, and the Committee for all of the help over the years. This year will be the fourth year that the Farmers’ Market is held at the Worthen Road practice field. Customers and vendors have communicated to Ms. Wilcott- Henrie that they love this site. Barricades help to keep the site contained. In 2023, approximately 70% of the days were rainy or it had rained the day before. Thankfully, the field does drain really well. DPW and Ms. Wilcott-Henrie would be in regular communication about field conditions and the inclement weather site is the parking lot at Lexington High School during the summer. 2 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 She indicated that the Farmers’ Market tries not to move locations due to the impact on vendors and customers. Concerns about ADA accessibility and customer access have been raised and Ms. Wilcott-Henrie reported that the access road is scheduled to be regraded by Memorial Day. With the throwing cage that was recently installed at the site, she indicated that the market will stretch more towards the woods this year and will make sure that it will not interfere with the cage. She added that a thorough clean-up will be completed at the end of each Tuesday. Rick DeAngelis, Chair of the Recreation Committee, reiterated that there will be no LHS field events on days when the Farmers’ Market operates and Ms. Battite added that the LHS track team will take care of the cage. There will be the same number of farmers and vendors this year and Ms. Wilcott-Henrie requested that the Center bathrooms remain open through Thanksgiving due to the Thanksgiving FEASTival that will be held that week. At the end of Ms. Wilcott-Henrie’s presentation, Rick DeAngelis made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee approves the 2024 Lexington Farmers’ Market request as presented.” Renen Bassik seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve this motion. 4. Reservoir Capital Project and Next Steps – Melissa Battite Melissa Battite gave a presentation on the status of the Old Reservoir capital project as well as the conditions of the park itself. The presentation slides are attached to the meeting minutes. The bathhouse, which is approximately 1,050 square feet, was built in 1975 and no significant upgrades have been made during this time. Ms. Battite gave an overview of the funding timeline for this project which included bids coming in overbudget twice for the two different iterations of the project. Ms. Battite reviewed the fund balances available, which are $9,747 in the feasibility study article and approximately $573,000 in construction funds. Ms. Battite then discussed the project priorities and the programming considerations based on items that were identified in the 2020 Community Needs Assessment. Attendance has decreased significantly in recent years and as a result, the hours of operation have also been reduced. In 2023, the facility was only open on the weekends and the total attendance was 100 for the entire season. Ms. Battite presented four potential options for next steps in terms of funding for this project moving forward: • Option A – request additional funding from the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) • Option B – Request additional funding from ARPA funds • Option C – use the existing funds to upgrade the existing building to meet ADA compliance • Option D – do not pursue this project, add portable restrooms onsite, focus on improved ADA parking/access to the water, and do not staff and leave as an open resource Members of the Committee asked questions and made remarks. Rick DeAngelis expressed his concerns that the bids were substantially higher than the budget both times. Ms. Battite responded by saying that the cost estimates were based on the information provided by a consultant as well as staff from the Department of Public Facilities (DPF) and acknowledged that the costs for certain items have skyrocketed. Nevertheless, Mr. DeAngelis believed that there needs to be a better approach to estimating and that the consultant and DPF needs to sharpen their pencil. When looking at the facility long-term, Renen Bassik asked if the desire is for the Old Reservoir to continue to operate in the same manner that it has previously and what can be done to make the space more attractive for more users. Feedback received from the community indicates that the depth and condition of the water are factors. Given that only 100 people went to the Reservoir last summer, Mr. DeAngelis stated that the Committee should spend some time thinking about how to move forward. Claire Sheth asked if ADA accessibility could be achieved 3 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 with a complete renovation, making the facility accessible to parking. Ms. Battite reiterated that the goal is to provide access to the bathrooms and beach. Ms. Sheth added that she would rather invest in enhanced programming at the Old Reservoir as there is not adequate utilization data at the moment. She also inquired about the possibility of completing cosmetic upgrades at the bathhouse. Mr. DeAngelis suggested that some outreach is needed and sending out a survey to gather input and feedback would be beneficial. A survey would be a method to ask people that if upgrades are made, would people go to the Reservoir and what would they use it for. If the season is extended, then the bathhouse would need to be heated. Lisa O’Brien acknowledged that there is an insufficient number of public restrooms in Lexington. Mr. DeAngelis expressed his support for Option C. It would be important to know how the facility would be programmed if the upgrades to achieve ADA compliance were completed and he believed that it would make sense to approach this from a programming perspective first. Other Committee members expressed the same sentiment. As far as next steps are concerned, Ms. Battite will meet with DPF staff to review the options. Additionally, a site visit with the Committee and a community meeting could be scheduled in the future. This conversation on this topic will continue at the March Recreation Committee meeting. 5. Happy to Chat Bench Donation – Christine Dean Christine Dean, Community Center Director, presented this request on behalf of the Lexington Rotary Club and a copy of the request is attached to the meeting minutes. Ms. Dean indicated that the Rotary Club reached out to her back in November about this concept. The Happy to Chat bench is similar in nature to a Buddy Bench at a school. It is an open invitation for conversation and encourages socialization. The funding for this request, including the installation of the bench, would be provided by Rotary Club. Ms. Dean informed the Committee that the Human Services Department would incorporate its mental health initiative with this bench. The bench will be advertised in the Link to Lexington, on the department’s website, and through the department’s monthly e-newsletter. The bench will be located under a tree next to the sidewalk. Ms. Dean stated that the bench is ready to go and she will be coordinating with DPW regarding the installation of the bench this spring. Melissa Battite added that the final acceptance of the bench will go to the Select Board for its approval. 6. LHS Athletics Requests – Peter Coleman Peter Coleman provided an overview of the two requests that were submitted by Naomi Martin, Director of Athletics for the Lexington Public Schools. A copy of the requests is attached to the meeting minutes. a. Temporary Storage at Center #1 – The first request was to support the Lexington Baseball Booster Club’s initiative to place a storage shed near Center #1 for baseball equipment for the Lexington High School baseball teams. The two proposed locations for the shed would be either (A) next to the Farmers’ Market shed at the Worthen Road practice field or (B) next to the bleachers on the 3rd base line at Center #1. A diagram with the two proposed locations is also attached to the meeting minutes. Tom Libretto, resident of 12 Cooke Road, explained that players are lugging equipment such as ball carts, a pitching machine, and catching equipment back and forth from the Field House to the field for every practice. Mr. Libretto said that this is a basic need of the high school baseball program and will increase how often the equipment is used. If approved, the shed would be used from March through Labor Day each year until Center #1 comes offline due to the LHS school building project. Rick DeAngelis stated that this would be good use of the space and Melissa Battite added that Option B is the preferred location. Lisa O’Brien made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee approves the Lexington Baseball Booster Club’s request to place a temporary storage shed at the Center #1 baseball field, preferred Location B as designated on the handout. The shed 4 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 will be installed in March 2024 and will be at the field from March-Labor Day each year until Center #1 comes offline due to the LHS building construction project.” Claire Sheth seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve this motion. b. Spring 2024 Banners and Signs – The second request asked for permission to allow for the LHS baseball and softball team banners to be hung on the outfield fence at Center #1 and Center #2 as done in previous springs as well as for senior banners to be hung at respective field and courts in celebration of Senior Days during the spring season. Members of the Committee asked if there would be any way to not request permission to hang banners and signs each year and instead, have it automatically included as part of the LHS Athletics spring field permit. After a brief discussion, Claire Sheth made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee approves the request from Lexington High School Athletics relative to banners and signs for the Spring 2024 season as stated.” Weiwei Li seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve this motion. 7. Committee Memberships Melissa Battite informed the Committee that the terms of Claire Sheth, Carl Fantasia, and Lisa O’Brien will be expiring on May 31, 2024. Ms. Sheth and Mr. Fantasia would like to continue serving on the Committee while Ms. O’Brien indicated that this will be her last term on the Committee. Members of the Committee thanked Ms. O’Brien for her service and for her many contributions that she has made over the years. Ms. Battite reminded the Committee that Ms. O’Brien has served as the liaison to the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), so another Committee member will need to fill this vacancy. Ms. Battite added that the Committee opening will be posted and advertised by Cathy Severance in the Town Manager’s Office. 8. NRPA 30 Under 30 Claire Sheth read a statement prepared by Christian Boutwell (attached) commending her for being recognized as part of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) 30 Under 30 program in 2024. Speaking from personal experience, Ms. Sheth emphasized the meaningful impacts that Ms. DeAngelis has on the lives of the people that she interacts with. Lisa O’Brien was glad that all of Ms. DeAngelis’s contributions were being recognized at the national level and appreciated that she sees the potential in all children and adults that she works with. Ms. DeAngelis thanked the members of the Committee for their kind words. She considers herself lucky to love her job as much as she does and said that not every department would be open to all of the initiatives that she proposes. Ms. DeAngelis summarized that she has the “best job ever in the best town ever.” 9. Annual Athletic Lights Extension Request – Peter Coleman Peter Coleman presented the request to extend the hours of athletic lighting at Lincoln #2. A copy of the memo is attached to the meeting minutes. The request for the 2024 season is same as the request that was approved by the Recreation Committee last year. The request is to extend the current access to the Lincoln #2 lights for up to 30 additional minutes. This means that the field lights would remain on until 9:00pm and the parking lot lights until 9:15pm. This request would be applicable on weeknights only for Tier 1-3 organizations during the spring (April 2nd-June 7th) and fall (August 26th-November 8th) seasons. It is anticipated that Committee will have additional discussion about the lighting policy once the new athletic lighting is installed at Lincoln #1 and Lincoln #3 during the summer. After a brief discussion, Claire Sheth made the following motion: “The Recreation Committee approves the request for extended hours of athletic lighting at Lincoln #2 for the 2024 season as written.” Rick DeAngelis seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve this motion. 5 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 10. Recreation Committee Email Correspondence – Renen Bassik Renen Bassik reported that two residents reached out about the desire for more volleyball opportunities in town. There was also an email about trees at the Lowell Street location and the potential for an ACROSS Lexington route to be included at Harrington. A copy of this month’s email correspondence is attached to the meeting minutes. 11. Recreation & Community Programs Report The February Recreation & Community Programs Report is attached to the meeting minutes. The next meeting of the Recreation Committee is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 26th at 6:30pm. The February 28th, 2024 meeting of the Recreation Committee adjourned at 8:30pm. Respectfully submitted, Peter Coleman Assistant Director of Recreation The following documents distributed at the meeting are attached: • Lexington Farmers’ Market February 2024 Recreation Committee Update • The Lexington Old Reservoir Park Presentation Slides • Lexington Rotary Club Request for the Happy to Chat Bench • Lexington High School Athletics requests regarding storage unit at Center #1 and Senior Day banners • Diagram with information on the location for the storage unit at Center #1 • Statement from Christian Boutwell regarding Kate DeAngelis’s NRPA 30 Under 30 Recognition • Request for Extended Hours of Athletic Lighting at Lincoln #2 Memo • Recreation Committee Email Correspondence • February 2024 Recreation & Community Programs Report