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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-04-25-REC-minFrederick DeAngelis, Chairman Lisah Rhodes, Vice Chairman Sandra Shaw Ruixi Yuan Jason Denoncourt Town of Lexington Recreation Committee Tel: (781) 698-4800 Fax: (781) 862-2747 Recreation Committee Minutes of Meeting April 25, 2017 A meeting of the Recreation Committee was held on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 7:00pm in the Parker Room of the Town Office Building, 1625 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington. Members Present: Rick DeAngelis, Jason Denoncourt, Lisah Rhodes, Sandra Shaw, and Ruixi Yuan Staff Present: Others Present: Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, Sheila Butts, Community Center Director, Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, Chris Filadoro, DPW Superintendent of Public Grounds, and Tyler Radicioni, Recreation Supervisor Ellen Cameron (Lexington Council on Aging), Peggy Enders (Lexington Bicycle Advisory Committee), Jegan Candassamy, Arjith Jegan, and Ayush Nanavati (Lexington Cricket League), and Tom Shiple (Lexington United Soccer Club) 1. Meeting Minutes from March 22, 2017 and April 5, 2017 Sandra Shaw moved and Jason Denoncourt seconded approval of the Recreation Committee Minutes of March 22, 2017 and April 5, 2017. The Recreation Committee voted 5-0 to approve the minutes of March 22, 2017 and April 5, 2017. 2. Citizens and Other Boards — None 3. Liaison Reports All of the liaison groups that advise and support the Recreation Committee were invited to attend the meeting to provide a brief update to the Committee. The Lincoln Park Sub -Committee was able to attend and will join a future meeting. Ellen Cameron, liaison from the Council on Aging (COA), distributed copies of the May/June Senior Service Newsletter. In terms of meals, she said that at the Community Center, lunch is provided three days a week. Upcoming trips include the Tall Ships, a Maine lobster bake, and a grandparent/grandchild Boston Duck Tour. The COA has also been working with the Lexington Housing Authority regarding affordable housing for seniors and it was recommended that the COA speak with Aaron Henry, the Town's Planning Director, on this initiative. Peggy Enders, chairman of the Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC), distributed some informational flyers and Minuteman Bikeway maps. The BAC is a 9 -member, Selectmen - appointed committee. The BAC works closely with the Friends of Lexington Bikeways and has liaisons from the Board of Selectmen, Planning, Recreation, and Police. The portion of the Minuteman Bikeway that runs through Lexington is 5.5 miles long. As part of the Bike, Walk, n Bus Week, the annual Bike Smart event, in partnership with the Police and Recreation and Community Programs Departments, will be held at the Community Center on Saturday, May 13t''. A bicycle maintenance forum will be held at the Community Center on the same date as well. The BAC hand out approximately 80 bike helmets at Discovery Say each year and there is a bike 2 corral at the Farmers' Market. Lexington is a bronze -level Bike Friendly community due to there not being enough miles of safe routes and a bicycle safety education program). Ms. Enders stated that the Town currently does not have a budget for bike safety and there is a need to have more bicycle safety infrastructure in place. A goal of making biking and walking safer in Lexington was outlined in the Town's 2015 Open Space and Recreation Plan Update. The number of users on the bikeway are measured each May and the numbers have been increasing in recent years. Through a DCR grant, mile marker and weigh -finding signs will be installed this summer The installation of bike racks has been included in Recreation capital improvement projects in recent years. Tyler Radicioni, Recreation Supervisor, provided an update on the Youth Sports Advisory Council (YSAC). The YSAC meets quarterly and its purpose is to maintain and improve the quality of youth sports that are offered in Lexington. Mr. Radicioni stated that LBH Pop Warner Football reported no known concussions during its season last fall and one issue that is always expressed is the lack of field space throughout the community. Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, said that the various youth sports organizations have been open-minded about collaborating and working together on the field space issue when opportunities have presented themselves. Rick DeAngelis, Chairman of the Recreation Committee, complimented Tyler Radicioni and his predecessor Peter Coleman, Assistant Director of Recreation, for their proactive approach to field permitting and their willingness to listen to the constituents. Lisah Rhodes, Vice Chairman of the Recreation Committee, started by recognizing Sheila Butts, Community Center Director, who will be retiring on May 5"'. Ms. Butts has been an employee of the Department since 2001 and Ms. Rhodes highlighted the kindness and dedication that she has exhibited during the past 16 years. Ms. Butts expressed her appreciation, saying that it has been a pleasure to work with the staff and Recreation Committee during her time in Lexington. She added that coming to Lexington in 2001 was one of the best decisions that she ever made and she thanked the Committee for their support. A retirement coffee to honor Sheila will be held on Friday, May 5th at 10:OOam. Ms. Rhodes continued with providing an update on the Community Center Program Advisory Committee (CCPAC). The CCPAC is appointed by the Board of Selectmen and has been meeting for the past year. The CCPAC is still finding its way and how to best support the operations at the Community Center. The Town finalized the purchase of the Pelham property for approximately $8,000,000 recently. Two spaces that will need to be advocated for going forward are the community space (gymnasium, cafeteria, and kitchen) and the school space (Lexington Children's Place preschool program). Ms. Rhodes concluded by saying the CCPAC meetings are open to the public and held on the third Thursday of each month. 4. Lexington Cricket Arjith Jegan and Ayush Nanavati, both sophomores at Lexington High School, gave a presentation to the Committee about cricket in Lexington. A digital copy of this presentation is attached to the minutes. Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world behind soccer. Mr. Jegan and Mr. Nanavati showed a brief video about how to play cricket. The typical field is approximately 350 feet long. The pitch of 66 feet long by 30 feet wide is located in the middle of the field and the surface should be as even as possible. The Lexington Cricket League (LCL) was established in 2013 and the LCL is a member of the US Cricket Association. In 2017, there are 60 participants in the league. LCL has been distributing information kits to Lexington elementary and middle schools, as well as montessori schools in the area, to help spread interest in the sport of cricket. Mr. Jegan and Mr. Nanavati stated that the LCL currently plays at the Harrington School fields and requested that the Town consider the creation of a designated cricket field. 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 3 Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, stated that the creation of a cricket field is included in the 5 -year capital plan and is currently scheduled for FY2022. Mr. Jegan and Mr. Nanavati reviewed the different pitch options (portable, turf, clay) and indicated that determining the pitch moving forward is essential. Both short-term and long -terms options were discussed. In the short term, having storage on site for the portable pitch is necessary. For the long term, Town staff have discussed sites such as Baskin Park and Franklin Park and additional options will be reviewed as well. Parking is a significant factor that will need to be considered. While cricket is played in the spring, summer, and fall, the primary tournament season is summer Moving forward, Ms. Battite stated that LCL and the Town will need to come to an agreement on the location and it would be helpful to see what the LCL operating budget is. Members of the Recreation Committee expressed their interest in seeing the sport of cricket grow in Lexington and are looking forward to working with LCL to come up with a sustainable, long- term solution. 5. 2017-2018 Goal Setting Melissa Battite, informed the Committee that staff are currently work on the Department's FY2018/FY2019 goals. Goals from the Community Center Program Advisory Committee (CCPAC) and the Recreation Committee will be incorporated into the Department's overall goals. Lisah Rhodes, Vice Chairman of the Recreation Committee, stated that field acquisition and/or development, which has been the Committee's mission for a long time, should continue to be a point of emphasis going forward. After a brief discussion, the Committee agreed that this along with the expansion of the Community Center campus should be included in the Department's goals. 6. Lincoln Park Light Project Update Tom Shiple, President of the Friends of Lincoln Lights, provided an update on the project. Mr. Shiple reported that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will be approving the project by the end of the month and he will be meeting with Karen Mullins, Conservation Administrator, on April 26t''. Two bids have been received and negotiations are currently underway regarding the lighting equipment with both companies. Mr. Shiple indicated that an estimate from a second light vendor (Qualite) is being considered along with the original estimate that was submitted by Musco Lighting. For publicity, approximately 100 lawn signs have been placed throughout the town. There is also a professional video on lightuplincoln.org and Letters to the Editor and articles have appeared in the Lexington Minuteman and Colonial Times. A $10,000 donation was made by Wilson Farm recently and other significant donations were made by Peter Kelley and Temple Isaiah. Approximately $100,000 was raised over the last month, bringing the total up to $337,000. The amount needed is $550,000 and the goal is to complete the project over the summer, so borrowing may need to be an option that is considered. Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs, stated that the Town is willing to provide some in-kind services with site prep and restoration to help reduce some of the expenses. 7. Recreation 5 -Year Capital Plan — No changes 8. Town Pool Renovation Project Update Melissa Battite, reported that the Town Pool renovation project was approved unanimously at Town Meeting on Monday, April 24t''. Ms. Battite stated that the process involved a considerable amount of behind -the -scenes work with five separate committees supporting the additional appropriation prior to the project being voted on at Town Meeting. The next step is to follow up with the Town's Purchasing Director so the contract can be awarded to the low bidder, which was Paul J Rogan Company. Ms. Battite also thanked Lisah Rhodes for presenting the Town Pool renovation project, along with the other CPA articles, at Town Meeting. 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421 4 9. School Construction Update — None 10. Parks Report Chris Filadoro, DPW Superintendent of Public Grounds, provided the Parks Report. The outfield fence at Center #1/#2 was installed on April 24t''. After making it through Patriots' Day, staff will now turn their attention to getting the Town Pool and Old Reservoir ready for the start of the season on Saturday, June 3rd. The Lexington Little League Opening Day Parade will be held on Saturday, April 29t''. The contractor for the Adams Field renovation project began to mobilize this past week and the fence replacement project at the Center Recreation Complex on Worthen Road and Muzzey Field has been completed. Rick DeAngelis, Chairman of the Recreation Committee, complimented Mr. Filadoro for being accessible and easy to work with. 11. Recreation Report • Melissa Battite, provided the Committee with her monthly update. The April 2017 Recreation and Community Programs Report is included as an attachment to the minutes. • There will be a tour of the Pelham Road property on Thursday, May 11t' at 5:30pm, followed by a meeting of the Permanent Building Committee (PBC) at 6:OOpm. Members are welcome to attend. • The Recreation Committee will take a tour of the Town's Recreation facilities and infrastructure for its June meeting, date and time TDD. The next meeting of the Recreation Committee is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, May 17th, 2017 at 6:OOpm in the Reed Room of the Town Office Building. The April 25, 2017 meeting of the Recreation Committee adjourned at 9: OOpm. Respectfully submitted, Peter Coleman Assistant Director of Recreation The following documents/exhibits distributed at the meeting are attached: • April 2017 Recreation & Community Programs Report • Cricket Presentation • Retirement Coffee Flyer for Sheila Butts • Youth Sports Advisory Council Charge 39 MARRETT ROAD, LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02421