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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-01-19-REC-min`OVS MORN' i- �i z a� APRIL 19' �FXINGS�� Frederick DeAngelis, Chairman Lisah Rhodes, Vice Chair Christian Boutwell Carl Fantasia Lisa O'Brien Claire Sheth Town of Lexington Recreation Committee Tel: (781) 698-4800 Fax: (781) 861-2747 RECE IVIED 2022 24 iii''' I), : iu3iii 'ro'WN UE 0 K DI_EMGTO MA Recreation Committee Minutes of Meeting January 19, 2022 A virtual meeting of the Recreation Committee was held on Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at 7:00pm through the Zoom platform. Members Present: Rick DeAngelis, Lisah Rhodes, Christian Boutwell, Carl Fantasia, Lisa O'Brien, and Claire Sheth Staff Present: Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, Christine Dean, Community Center Director, Chris Filadoro, DPW Superintendent of Public Grounds, Dave Pinsonneault, DPW Director, Melinda Spencer, Administrative Manager, and Hayato Tsurumaki, Recreation Supervisor Others Present: Leah Baigell and Henry Kon (91 Bow Street, Lexington), Suzie Barry (Select Board liaison), Michael Broderick (8 Pine Knoll Road, Lexington), John Igoe (20 Parker Street, Lexington), Tom Libretto (12 Cooke Road, Lexington), Ara Najarian (8 Manning Street, Lexington), Deepika Sawhney (School Committee liaison) 1. Meeting Minutes — December 15, 2021 Lisah Rhodes moved to approve the minutes from the December 15' meeting. Lisa O'Brien seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve the December 15 minutes. Public Comment Rick DeAngelis, Chair of the Recreation Committee, informed the Committee that there is a group of Lexington residents looking to put up a new scoreboard at the Center #1 baseball field. The current scoreboard was installed back in 1997 and was donated to the Town by the Lexington Lions Club. The scoreboard was the first of its kind at that time, but with it now being 25 years old, it is in need of replacement. Mr. DeAngelis stated that the new scoreboard would be state-of- the-art and would be of no cost to the Town. The residents that are collaborating on this initiative are Mr. DeAngelis, Tom Libretto, John Igoe, Eric Steinkrauss, and Jeff Heisner. Options to have solar power and remote access are being considered and the new, modern scoreboard will be a little bit larger than the current scoreboard. Mr. DeAngelis added that the intent is for the new scoreboard to be installed by the Lexington High School baseball season this spring and the formal proposal will be presented at the February Recreation Committee meeting. Suzie Barry, Select Board liaison, reminded the Committee that if approved by the Recreation Committee, the new scoreboard would also need to be presented to and voted on by the Select Board since it would be a gift to the Town. 3. Recreation Committee Email Correspondence Reports Lisah Rhodes reported that emails received over the past month included items such as spikeball lines painted on Lincoln 93, a dedication sign at Lincoln Park being moved to a different location of the park, and an email from Richard Petrasso regarding the tennis practice boards at the Center Recreation Complex. Recreation & Community Programs Report The January 2022 Recreation & Community Programs Report is attached to the meeting minutes. Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, highlighted a few items. The Lexington Fire Department has not received any requests for the installation of AEDs at several parks and open spaces. This would require a substantial amount of maintenance and would have to be a capital request in the 5 -Year Capital Plan. The Fire Department is confident in its response time to emergencies and incidents. The Munroe Center for the Arts has an upcoming capital improvement project that will likely be brought before the Committee as part of the approval process since Munroe Park is under Recreation jurisdiction. The Select Board unanimously approved the Recreation Committee's FY23 fee recommendations on January 10th Ms. Battite reviewed several Save the Dates as well. Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, provided updates on the ongoing and upcoming capital projects. Melissa Battite reported that repairs were recently completed on the bleachers at the Crumb Football Field and she is currently working with the Lexington Public Schools to determine how the repairs will be paid for. The department will have a Therapeutic Recreation intern from Regis College during the upcoming semester. Ms. Battite informed the Committee that there has been flooding at the Pine Meadows clubhouse recently that will require a reserve fund transfer at Town Meeting. Jim Malloy, Town Manager, recommends using the Recreation Enterprise Fund to pay for the repairs, which is estimated to cost in excess of $130,000 and would have an impact on the Enterprise Fund going forward. It is estimated that the repairs will take approximately 2-3 weeks and the plan is to complete the work in March to have minimal impact on the parking lot at the beginning of the season. Hayato Tsurumaki, Recreation Supervisor, and Peter Coleman provided programming and operations updates for the Recreation Division. Ms. Battite mentioned that the working group to pursue alternative funding models for the Recreation Enterprise Fund will be meeting in mid-February. Christian Boutwell volunteered to attend this meeting and then the Committee could vote at its February meeting to make it official. Details about the citizen's article regarding the new Lexington High School and Center Recreation Complex were previously sent to the Committee members. Liaison Report Suzie Barry, Select Board liaison, informed the Committee that the Select Board found out in late December about the petition to study the land on Worthen Road from Massachusetts Avenue to Waltham Street, including Hastings Park and the Hayden land. In essence, this article would serve as a master plan of the site. This request came as a surprise to Ms. Barry as the Town Manager had already formed a working group on this subject. The working group consists of the Town Manager, Superintendent of Schools, staff from DPW, DPF, and Recreation and Community Programs, representatives from the School Committee, Select Board, and Recreation Committee, and Town Counsel. The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has delayed its decisions regarding the next funding cycle until March. While the proponent of the petition (Jon Himmel) collected the required ten signatures, he has not reached out to the Permanent Building Committee or the Recreation Committee to date. The request is for $175,000 and Ms. Barry indicated that she will address her concerns about the manner in which this request was brought forward at the 2022 Annual Town Meeting this spring, unless the article is indefinitely postponed. Ms. Barry added that the Town's finance committees would need to take a vote on this and with Town Meeting starting on March 28th, her goal is to minimize any 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 confusion to the Town Meeting members. Ms. Barry emphasized the importance of reaching out to all elected officials, such as the Select Board, School Committee, and Town Meeting members. Rick DeAngelis expressed his concerns and disappointment with the lack of inclusion to date and that the petition was formalized without the Recreation Committee or department staff being contacted. Mr. DeAngelis reiterated that the recreational resources in Lexington are as valuable as the brick and mortar of any buildings in town and that they are important, vital, components of the community. Deepika Sawhney, who is the School Committee liaison, indicated that no decisions have been made and that Chapter 97 concerns have been raised. Ms. Sawhney added that Mr. Malloy and Ms. Hackett will continue to work together and report back to the working group and that recreation is valuable with students being a prominent beneficiary. Ms. Barry understood why the Committee was upset and will keep everyone as updated as possible. Mr. DeAngelis requested that this topic be on the meeting agenda going forward, for at least the next two months. Deepika Sawhney reported that the School Committee is currently working on the FY2023 budget. 6. Field Use & Permitting — Christian Boutwell Based on conversations from previous Committee meetings, Christian Boutwell acknowledged the growing conflicts for use at the athletic fields, specifically the synthetic turf fields at Lincoln Park and youth sports organizations such as the Lexington United Soccer Club (LUSC). Mr. Boutwell would like to pursue opportunities for added efficiencies or creative solutions and compromises that will satisfy the highest number of users. The target is to implement any recommendations for the Fall 2022 season. Melissa Battite stated that Hayato Tsurumaki, Peter Coleman, and she have reviewed this idea with Mr. Boutwell and she believes that it would be a great idea for the Committee to be a part of the process and help guide the conversation. Committee members welcomed this approach, which will help to expedite solutions and Mr. Boutwell will communicate with staff to discuss potential solutions and next steps. 7. Portable Restroom Program — Hayato Tsurumaki Hayato Tsurumaki provided an overview of the portable toilet program and the accompanying memo is attached to the meeting minutes. This pilot program, which was approved by the Committee back in December 2019, was delayed due to the pandemic and finally implemented during the Fall 2021 season with portable toilets at five sites. Mr. Tsurumaki reported that the feedback received from the various user groups was positive and there were fewer complaints from abutters and neighbors at these sites. Since this was initially a pilot program, the request was to make this an annual program going forward and to have the ability to determine the locations at the Outdoor Recreation Facilities annually based on the needs of the community. Christian Boutwell asked if the expenses associated with this program will be paid for by the department's operating budget. Melissa Battite stated that the expenses for the pilot program were included in previous fee increases and staff could review each year to build into field use fees and make sure the expenses are covered. Mr. Tsurumaki added that previously, the Lexington United Soccer Club (LUSC) and Lexington Little League (LLL) had leased and paid for portable toilets. After a brief discussion, Christian Boutwell made the following motion: "The Recreation Committee moves to approve the provision ofportable restrooms as provided under the pilot program to be reviewed annually and in response to the needs at other Outdoor Recreation Facilities." Rick DeAngelis seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve this motion. 8. Rindge Playground Replacement — Peter Coleman Peter Coleman gave a presentation on the playground replacement and ADA improvements at Rindge Park. The presentation slides are attached to the meeting minutes. The current playground was installed in 2005 and consists of an ages 5-12 composite structure with two 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 4 slides, monkey bars and other climbing apparatus, and a 2 -bay swing set (two tot swings and two belt swings). A total of $170,000 in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds was appropriated at the 2021 Annual Town Meeting and the scope for the project includes the demolition and removal of existing equipment, replacement of the playground and swing set, installation of new safety surfacing, providing access to the play structure and swing set, furnishing new site amenities such as signage, park bench, and trash receptacle, and the installation of two ADA - accessible paths: one from the playground to the path by the Arlington Reservoir and one from the playground to the basketball court. It is anticipated that this project will begin in Summer/Fall 2022 and it should be noted that this schedule is tentative and subject to change. Mr. Coleman notified the Committee that there were three community meetings during the public engagement process for this project. The initial kick-off meeting was held on October 27, 2021 and gave people a chance to provide input on the new playground. Staff then worked with three different playground designers and these designs were shared at the second community meeting, which took place on December 8, 2021. Those in attendance at that meeting provided comments and feedback on the three different designs. The playground designers made modifications to the designs based on the feedback that was received and the modified designs were presented and reviewed and the third community meeting, which was held on January 12, 2022. Based on the feedback that was received, one of the playground designs was eliminated from consideration and two options (Option A and Option B) were presented to the Committee. A series of renderings that demonstrated the various features and play components for both Option A and Option B were shown. Members of the Committee expressed their support for Option B based on the connectivity provided by the poured -in-place (PIP) safety surfacing, the unique underdeck climber, and the monkey bars and swings. Rick DeAngelis made the following motion: "Based on the many factors that were taken into consideration, such as the project budget, playground designer and installer, and neighborhood feedback, the Recreation Committee moves to proceed with Option B for the playground replacement at Rindge Park." Christian Boutwell seconded the motion. The Recreation Committee voted 6-0 to approve this motion. Lexington Little League Banner Request Ara Najarian, President of Lexington Little League (LLL), presented a field sponsorship proposal and the presentation slides are attached to the meeting minutes. Mr. Najarian explained that the conversation was to discuss the feasibility of including sponsorship signs for local companies at the baseball and softball fields in Lexington. Mr. Najarian viewed this as a win-win opportunity for LLL and Lexington -based businesses. The proposal called for 6-8 banners to be placed at each field and the locations up for consideration are the Center 92 softball field and Center 94 Little League field (Fitzgerald Field) or the Lincoln 91 Little League field and Lincoln 92 softball field. The dimensions for the signs are 4' x 8' and clips would be used to attach them to the fences. The preference would be to leave the signs up for the duration of the spring and summer seasons and sponsorship opportunities would be limited to Lexington businesses and organizations. Mr. Najarian provided an overview of the reach and exposure that the signs would potentially have, which are highlighted on the presentation slides. Based on the proposed cost of $600 per sign, it is estimated that the net revenue would be between $5,400-$7,200 and that revenue would be put into the LLL program. These funds could be used in a variety of different ways including general expenses such as scholarships, infrastructure needs, new and upgraded equipment, and long-term upgrades. Mr. Najarian added that LLL has increased its participant fee in 2022 for the first time in six years. Rick DeAngelis noted that the issue of signs is addressed in the Town by-laws. Suzie Barry added that in the Select Board regulation on park and recreational facilities, item 98 states that it is forbidden "to post, paint, affix, or display any sign, notice, placard, or advertising device; or engage in business, sell, or expose for sale, or give away any goods, wares or circulars." It was 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 mentioned that the by-law, which was last revised in 2011 would need to be amended. Ms. Barry also stated that the School Committee policy would also need to be followed for Center 92 and Center 94. This policy states that "no advertising of commercial products or services will be permitted in school buildings or on school grounds or properties without permission of the School Committee." Christian Boutwell acknowledged that determining which companies could advertise at certain games and events could be a regulatory headache and that new regulations would have to be established. While it sounds complicated, it is good to bring this to the forefront. Mr. Najarian said he is ready and willing to participate in any necessary conversations. In the meantime, he is going to collect photos and policies of how this issue is handled in surrounding communities. The next virtual meeting of the Recreation Committee is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, February 16" at 7:00pm through the Zoom platform. The January 19'h, 2022 meeting of the Recreation Committee adjourned at 9: 03pm. Respectfully submitted, Peter Coleman Assistant Director of Recreation The following documents distributed at the meeting are attached: • January 2022 Recreation & Community Programs Report • Memo on Portable Toilet Program • Rindge Park Playground Replacement & ADA Improvements presentation slides • Lexington Little League Field Sponsorship Proposal 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421