2003-03-06City of Beverly, Massachusetts
Public Meeting Minutes
Board: Parks and Recreation Commission
Subcommittee:
Date: March 6, 2003
Place: Beverly Public Library
Board members present: Mark Casey, Kevin Hobin, Patti Adams, Lauren Young, David Gardner,
and Arthur Powell
Board members absent: Liz Caputo
Others present Artie Sullivan, Tom Scully, Bill Collins, and Bruce Doig
Minutes of previous meeting were accepted as written.
REPORT ON BARC FROM BILL COLLINS
·
BARC members will be formally meeting in the next few weeks, and have only been informally
emailing in the meantime.
·
BARC wants to have classes on “good dog and citizenship things” in some of the parks in
Beverly in the spring. Hope to have some classes at Lynch Park. Wondered if the barn would
be available as shelter if/when it rains on their class days. Tom Scully joked that it also rains
inside the barn. Laughter commenced.
·
Artie reported that in the past few weeks there have been increases in the incidences of dogs
off-leash in Lynch Park. He notes that due to a maintenance issues with the city vehicle, Jim
Lindley has been unable to come to our aid when called to apprehend the offending canines
and their owners. Bill Collins has also noticed an increase in signs of irresponsibility amongst
dogs and their owners.
·
Artie has been working with DPW to get new signage regarding dogs at Lynch. Signs will be
up by spring and printed in a different color than they now appear.
·
It was anticipated that non-residents would not adhere to the dog policies denoted in the new
signs.
·
Lauren suggested that Jim Lindley attend a meeting to clear up some lingering issues such as
signage around the clean-up bags.
·
The dog ordinance was sent back to City Hall and Peter Gilmore would like to rewrite it. No
one knows what this means, but Artie is going to call and find out.
PARKS DEPARTMENT REPORT
·
Centerville Improvement Society made plans available to Artie, depicting their vision of the
Cahill playground and the area surrounding it. Artie proposed a closer look at this proposal at
the April meeting. Cost of the project was questioned and Artie supposed it was in the
$60,000 range. Issue was tabled until the end of the current meeting.
·
But the conversation continued with Tom Scully mentioning that the Mayor is eager to sell the
Maplewood property. The status of the property (surplus or not) is unknown at this time.
ACTING DIRECTOR’S REPORT
·
Price of the signage for the lifeguards has not yet been determined. Artie is still designing the
signs with Mike Bouchard and Mike Collins. Currently looking at one-panel signs for beaches
at Independence, Obear and Pleasantview where lifeguards are not staffed and hinged signs
at beaches where lifeguards are staffed. Hinged signs would lock open and lock closed to
reflect the status of the lifeguards (on duty or not).
·
Lauren inquired about the status of returning rangers at Lynch and camp counselors. Artie
explained that most rangers and camp counselors have returned contracts. He is hesitant to
send out reminders to park instructors and lifeguards who have not returned their contracts
until the budget has been finalized. Artie currently has a sufficient amount of lifeguards and
park instructors.
·
Veterans Memorial Park status: the name of Odell Park is now Veterans Memorial at Odell
Park. City Council approved the name change about 10 years ago with other name changes
to various parks. Jake Petronzzio is taking offense to Lisa wanting to have an arts festival at
Odell Park because he feels as though the park is for veterans and therefore a place for
remembrance and respectful silence. Tom wants to see end plans of proposed alterations to
all parks, moved memorials, etc. before City Council votes to have them altered and/or moved.
Tom is not opposed to a war memorial, he just wants to know what exactly that is, where is it
going to be and how will we know it’s finished. When alterations are finished, no more park
space will be allotted to memorials. Lauren moved to take action and proposed writing a
letter, which Tom will draft, to the City Council. The gist of letter is that the Commission
needs to know what the “grand plan” is and they need some finality, and have to resolved the
issue of whether putting a veterans memorial in a park then makes the park off-limits for
other activities.
·
Con Com meeting occurred on 2/26 for Vitale. Will hold a vote on 3/11 to see if they want to
pursue playing fields on Vitale.
·
Lynch Park Advisory Committee is meeting on 3/12 to go over plans and logistics for Lynch
Park and future usages of the carriage house.
MOTION REGARDING REDESIGN OF BHS
·
Motion was made to finalize and send out a letter regarding the Park & Recreation
Commission’s needs in the redesign of Beverly High School. The letter would be sent out that
week. Motion was approved.
BUDGET
Cutbacks are not as bad as originally thought. Proposed budget number of $214,000 has been
adjusted up to $248,388. This is based on the governor’s statement that local aid will be cut
10.5%. Unfortunately, more realistic cuts may be more like 20%. So the final budget still remains
to be seen. Savings will be seen in cutbacks to the amounts of portable toilets at each of the
parks, closing Woodbury beach (kayak lifeguards can assist in an emergency), closing some parks
and/or pursuing community block grants to fund staffing for certain parks.
· A motion was made to have leagues support the cost of porta-potties. Motion was accepted.
· Lauren made a motion to delete funding for a lifeguard at Woodbury beach for the summer of
2003. Motion was approved.
· Bill Bresnahan and Stephanie Aucone, Park Supervisors, submitted a list of parks they felt
should remain open, which included Longfellow, McKay, Hannah, Cove, Livingstone, Bessie
Baker, Lindsay and Bartlett Gardens. Obear, Centerville and Dix, which appear on Bill and
Stephanie’s list, will not be staffed. Night Park will also be eliminated. A motion was made to
open all parks listed, but trade Lindsay for North Beverly. The motion was accepted.
· Finally, open parks for the summer of 2003 will be Longfellow, McKay, Hannah, Cove,
Livingstone, Bessie Baker, North Beverly and Bartlett Gardens.
· Talk about accepting donations for the park program circulated. It was proposed that we
advertise our acceptance of donations (not a registration fee) in both the summer and fall
brochure.
· The small amount of money required to heat the Rec. Office was discussed and marveled at.
A motion was made to approve the budget Artie presented at a total sum of $248,388 (subject to
the mayor’s final budget projections). Motion was accepted.
LOOKOUT PARK (WOODLAND AVENUE) AREA
·
We will never use it for a park, it is virtually inaccessible.
AFTER PARK CAMP PROPOSAL
·
Artie circulated a proposal from Park Supervisors Bill Bresnahan and Stephanie Aucone for an
After Park Camp. Two sites are proposed, the Millery and Hannah School. The program will
be an extension of the park day, continuing on from 1-4:00pm, and will be fee-for-service.
About 50 children may be accommodated at each site; transportation from park to the site is
the responsibility of the parent. Cost would be $180/child/session for a two-week session.
Budget of about $8,000 has been asked for.
·
Questions and concerns centered around transportation, whether or not the program will be
self-supporting, the amount of children proposed at each site, the amount of sites proposed,
the types of activities planned and our profits.
·
Commission agreed to table this issue until after this summer (no later than October) and until
Bill and Stephanie can attend a meeting and give a formal presentation.
·
The Commission seemed optimistic that the program could come to fruition next summer,
after more planning and information is realized.
BEVERLY GOLF & TENNIS CAMP PROGRESS
·
Artie reported that registration is on-going and is not filling up as quickly as was hoped. Ben
Contois, our School-to Career student has put together and sent out a mailing, encouraging
current camp applicants who have children ages 8-11 but did not gain acceptance into all of
the camp sessions they requested, to try the new golf-tennis-swim camp. Currently, there is
an average of 6 registrants in each session.
·
This program has yet to be published in the brochure.
VOTING IN A NEW CHAIRMAN
·
Lauren pledged a nomination for Mark Casey as Chairman of the Parks and Recreation
Commission. Nomination was accepted and Mark was heartily congratulated.
Respectfully submitted,
Joscelyn Ruelle-Kersker