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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-01-16-CCAC-min TOWNOFLEXINGTON AdhocCommunityCenterAdvisoryCommittee(AhCCAC) Minutes Date: January 16, 2015 Place and Time: Selectmen’s Meeting Room, Town Office Building, 1:00 p.m. Members Present: Michelle Ciccolo (Board of Selectmen), Chair; Betty Borghesani; Jon Himmel (Chair, Permanent Building Committee); Florence Koplow Member(s) Absent: Harry Forsdick; Laura Hussong; Leslie Zales Liaisons Present:Staff: Linda Vine, Vice Chair of AhCCAC, Town Manager’s Office; Karen Simmons, Recreation; Kelly Axtell for Charlotte Rodgers, Human Services; Committees: David Kanter, Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Liaisons Absent (liaisons only attend as-requested and as-available to address relevant agenda items):Staff: Chris Filadoro, Department of Public Works; Dorinda Goodman, Information Technology; John Mazerall, Police Department;Shawn Newell, Department of Public Facilities (DPF); Koren Stembridge, Library; Chief John Wilson, Fire Department; Committees: Glenn Parker, Chair, Appropriation Committee; Joe Pato, Board of Selectmen (BoS); Jessie Steigerwald, School Committee Also present: Carolyn Carey, Director, Town of Harwich (Harwich) Community Center; Sheila Butts, staff, Recreation; Nancy Adler, Chair, Council on Aging Board (COA); Joel Adler, Town Meeting Member; Thomas Romana, seasonal staff with Recreation Department Recording Secretary: Sara Arnold The meeting was called to order by Ms. Ciccolo at 1:05 .. PM 1.Harwich Community Center: Ms. Ciccolo welcomed Ms. Carey and thanked her for coming to Lexington. Ms. Carey provided background information regarding the Harwich Community Center. Although it was initially rejected by the Town’s open Town Meeting, it was built 15 years ago on Town-owned land for approximately $5.1 million. Prior to its opening, Harwich used a house for its Council on Aging programs, the Recreation Department didn’t have a gym, and recreation programs were held wherever space could be found. The center opened on February 5, 2000 for pre-approved groups only and on February 14, 2000 for full programming as it was then envisioned. Ms. Carey was hired as the first Community Center Director on March 14, 2000, after it was determined that an additional staff person was required. She described her primary responsibility as “building community” in a safe environment. She described her professional background and noted that management experience, strong communication skills, and some experience in a comparable environment are important attributes to seek in candidates for a community center director position. She provided several handouts, which included her job description, and she reported that Ms. Vine has information on how Harwich advertised the position. She reports to the Town Administrator and the Assistant Town Administrator, depending on the issue; both conduct her annual review. She has six staff members who report to her, including two custodians. The Recreation Department and Council on Aging staff do not report to her. Shortly after Harwich opened its Community Center, the Highways and Maintenance Department hired a Facilities Manager, who oversees the maintenance of the building. Harwich has a seven member Community Center Facilities Committee, which provides policy and program oversight. The programs are constantly being assessed and adjusted to meet needs. Ms. Carey provided additional information regarding the Harwich Community Center, as follows: Hours of Operation and Staff Coverage: The facility is open 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is closed on Sundays. Saturday hours can fluctuate based on time of year: usually 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with extended Saturday hours (until 8:00 p.m.) during the winter. Minimally, two staff members, including a custodian, are at the facility from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. during the week. The Town has three full time custodians who handle all of the Community Center needs, including set up, break down, and cleaning, as well as cleaning the town hall. The weight room and gym are open at 6:00 a.m. during the week, and a multipurpose room opens at 7:00 a.m. Use of the Harwich Community Center: Approximately 178 clubs and organizations use the facility (some weekly, some just once) during the year. Usage has included weddings, birthday parties, committee meetings, Town Meeting and a funeral. Organizations that use it include the Scouts and other local groups. Town Meeting, which requires 150 people for a quorum, is conducted in the gym. Staff usually prepares for 600 attendees; overflow can go into rooms where the meeting is broadcast live. Scheduling: At the beginning of each fiscal year, scheduling priority is given to town-related activities, starting with those for the Town Administrator and Selectmen, then for departments that are located in the Community Center, followed by other departments. Once those are scheduled, requests for other community uses are accommodated. There is generally enough room for all the requests, although in some cases location and/or date for a requested event may be adjusted. The reservation form includes the caveat that in the event of an emergency, the event may need to be rescheduled or moved, but this has not been a problem. The Recreation Department and the Council on Aging create the most demand on the space. The electronic program Sportsman is used for scheduling programs in the five activity rooms, the multi-purpose room, the conference rooms and the gym. All of the office staff members assist in programming. Fees: The fee for using space is $35 for a single event with a maximum of $150 for the year. A single entity can use the space two times per week. If an entity must cancel, this must be done in advance. If an entity is a no-show more than six times in a year, there is a penalty. The fees for non-residents are generally the same as for residents, but there are some restrictions for use of the weight room (see below) and for for-profit entities. A business can hold a meeting at the center but cannot run the business out of the center. The Weight Room: Use of the weight room is restricted to Harwich residents 16 years and older, who pay a $150 annual fee to get a membership card that is scanned when entering the room. The funds go into a revolving fund. Users of the weight room are usually waiting at the door at 6:00 a.m. during the week, but there is little demand midday. Weight room members can sign up to work with a personal trainer who is at the facility two times per week. It is also possible to contract with the personal trainer separately. There is no required orientation for using the weight room. The Town’s insurance policy doesn’t require professional supervision in the weight room, but the rules require that no one uses it alone. Particularly during quiet times, staff must check that the rules are being followed. Food and Liquor: 2 Liquor is not allowed except with a one day license. Food that is being served must come from a commercial kitchen, which means no pot lucks can be held at the facility. The Harwich Community Center has a commercial kitchen so they can cater events. There are no restrictions on where food and drinks can be consumed except they are not allowed in the weight room. Programs: Friday night activities vary from dances, to exhibits, to sport events. Sometimes small groups, such as recovery groups or female empowerment groups, meet on Friday nights. There are unstructured areas for drop-ins that are available daily. There are after-school programs offered for students Student Use of the Facility: Anyone 12 or under must be accompanied by an adult unless participating in a scheduled activity. Parental waivers are required for such activities. If students do not show up for a scheduled activity, parents/guardians must be informed. The game room, with billiards, ping pong and other table games frequently used by students, are located so they are observable from the Recreation Offices. There are no limitations on using the game room equipment; those who are waiting seem to enjoy watching others play, and people take turns without such rules. There is a sign-out process for using games. There need to be controls on using the x-box. There are teen drop-ins and these must be monitored by staff, but there is a certain risk for anyone using the building. Staff members make a point of regularly circling the building and parking lot to ensure safety. Safety and Security: People do not sign in when they enter the building. All outside doors have cameras, as do some unique hallways; staff are able to passively watch activity. Audio is not included. The data is preserved for 60 days. Funding grants were received for the cameras and additional grants are being pursued for outdoor cameras. Rooms that aren’t being used are locked so that people can’t wander in. Rooms cannot be reserved for just two people, such as for tutoring; this must be done in open spaces. CORI checks are conducted for those who are providing services in the building, including volunteers. Fundraising and Volunteers: The facility uses hundreds of volunteers of all ages. Fundraising efforts have included selling bricks for $150-$500, and room-naming has been considered. People often want to make donations of tangible items, such as pianos or weight room equipment, but they may not be appropriate for the facility. For example, commercial grade equipment is required for the weight room. There needs to be a process for determining the value of an offer and for either accepting it or rejecting it. The Community Center facilitates a fundraising event, which helps entities pay for their room fees. The Community Center provides tables and the entities man the tables at which items are sold. Marketing: The Council on Aging and Recreation Department have traditionally handled separate marketing campaigns from each other and from the Community Center’s efforts. There has been a recent effort to coordinate some brochures, but there are still separate newsletters. The Community Center website includes online services. Other Comments: All collected funds go through the Town of Harwich. 3 There hasn’t been a request for a craft shop. Storage is an issue; groups cannot store things at the center. There is a Code of Conduct. Ms. Vine commented that this Committee’s Safety and Security Subcommittee has spent a considerable amount of time discussing ways to address safety and security issues, including those referenced by Ms. Carey. Ms. Adler asked for suggestions to help senior citizens transition to the new facility. There was also a question about tracking senior citizen participation for state reporting purposes, and how much programming to offer when opening the facility. Ms. Carey provided the following additional thoughts: Senior Citizens need time to recognize the benefits of a Community Center, but she is convinced it will happen. Tracking Senior Citizen participation is done in Harwich by tallying participation in individual programs. Trust your staff to know when additional programs and hours are needed. It is best to start small and then add programs. Growing into providing more is preferable to providing too much. For example, winter Saturday evening programs can be added later. 2.Adjourn: A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 3:20 .. The motion passed. PM VOTE: 4-0 These minutes were approved on March 30, 2015. Materials distributed/used at the meeting: Public Meeting Agenda, January 16, 2015, AhCCAC Questions for the Director of the Harwich Community Center; prepared by Ms. Koplow Materials provided by Ms. Carey: Harwich Community Center; Building Information, Harwich Community Center Newsletter, January/February 2015 Emergency Disaster Plan for Harwich Community Center Set of four Harwich Recreation Department brochures Set of three Harwich Community Center brochures: Birthday Party Package; Meetings & Event Planning; Welcome to Our Weight Room Town of Harwich 1998 Special Town Meeting article establishing a Community Center Facilities Committee Harwich Community Center Code of Conduct Harwich Community Center Application for Use of Facilities Job Descriptions from 2000 and current for Manager/Director of the Harwich Community Center Invitation to submit ideas for the Community Center and Proposal Form 4