PR020322 City of Beverly, Massachusetts
Public Meeting Minutes
Board: Beverly Parks and Recreation Commission
Subcommittee:
Date: February 3, 2022—7:OOPM
Place: Via Google Meet only
Board Members Present: Mark Casey, Bill Lowd, Justin Repp, Nancy Marino
Board Members Absent: Mike Ralbovsky, Jan Jefgood, Kevin Hobin, Henry Pizzo
Others Present: Bruce Doig - Parks, Recreation &Community Services Director; Valentino Eramo — Recreation Facilities
Coordinator, Darrah Jordan —Citizen; Sue Carnevale, Nancy Geisinger, Robert Ashmore, Bob Butterworth, Tammy
Marciano
Caii to Order—7;OOPM,
Minutes: The minutes for the 1/13/22 meeting were approved as written 4-0 after a motion by Bill Lowd and a second
by Nancy Marino.
Assistant Director's Report: Jon Paddol, Assistant Recreation Director
We are getting back into the swing of things after the holiday period. Our Directors roster for the Parks and Camps are
filling out nicely. Jon is used January to send out contracts to returning staff and working closely with the Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion Director for the City in an effort to greater diversify both our staffing practices as well as our camper
base.
Jon is currently working on bringing back many of the popular classes that have been running throughout COVID
(Babysitting Safety and Lifeguard Classes) as well as many new classes including Chess Nights, Fungi Walks, Mediation,
Weight Loss, Understanding Sciatica and many, many more. We will also be partnering with The Cabot on some Youth
Filmmaking classes.
A major focus right now is Polar Park. This is a new program that we are offering at Camp Paradise during Beverly
Schools February vacation, 2/22 through 2/25. It will be run by a handful of our summer staff. We have received good
feedback for this event so far but have limited availability (25 children). This weeklong program for kids in 3rd, 4th and
5th grades, will run in a similar fashion to a day at our Park Program. Obviously, most of the activities will take place
indoors though outdoor activities and walks will be implemented depending on the weather.
Upcoming classes and events this month include:
• Summer employment applications will become available in early February
• Polar Park: February Vacation Program begins next month.
• Season 2 of Cornhole League begins in February
• Tai Chi and Introduction to Fly Tying registrations are open.
Director's Report: Bruce reviewed the following in his Director's Report—
RECENT EVENTS:
COVID-19 Home Test Kits Pickup— 1/13/22 @ Lynch Park— 1600 more test kits distributed w/ Bev Rec assistance.
LWCF Grant Application Due— 1/24/22 - Application for Courts project - $650,000 request submitted on time.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Summer Camp Registration — Lottery beginning 3/4/22.
Employment Applications— Beginning in early March. Looking for good candidates.
CORRESPONDENCE:
Commission Membership— Mike Raibovskyhas resigned from the P&R Commission to focus on his
business. COVID has had a significant impact his business, which is why he has not been able to attend meetings. We
are back to having two openings on this commission.
OSRC Meeting — 2/2/22—Jon and I attended to assist with updates to the Open Space Plan for the city that is due to
be updated and submitted to the state by July 2022. This plan includes information about fields, courts and other
recreational opportunities in the city.
** There was much discussion about ADA accessibility to parks and trails. I plan to do a complete park tour with Abu
Toppin ASAP in the spring to survey all facilities to identify ADA accessibility issues.
** OSRC is still looking for a P&R Commission member to join their group. Maybe a new member with Open Space
interest?
P&R Commission Meeting Minutes - All meeting minutes from past several years have been emailed to IT
Department for posting on City website. City Clerk Lisa Kent requested copies of the minutes for the seven 2021
meetings for posting with the Clerk's office for public information requests. 2021 minutes were emailed to Lisa on
1/31/22.
FY2022 State Earmarks— We have been awarded two earmarks from the Commonwealth of MA ARPA funding. One
earmark is for $200,000 for improvements and renovations to the McPherson Youth Center. One earmark is for $200,000
"For construction and improvements to the many parks & recreational spaces in Beverly."
$250,000 Private Donation — NO CHANGE — Met w/Abu Toppin, ADA Coordinator, in December to discuss best
location and accessibility for the donated viewers. Still working with donors to receive donation.
Pickleball Meeting w/ City Council Public Services Committee— Meeting was held on 11/29/21 at City Hall with 5
City Councilors. City departments looking into potential use of Birch Plains for new courts. Mayor Cahill met with several
folks around the holidays. No additional information at this time,
FY2022 BUDGETS:
Enterprise Fund — Hoping to receive some of the ARPA funds allocated to the city to replenish this fund for revenues
lost in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID. No updated balance from Finance yet.
City Budget— Service level funded for FY2022. Currently on budget.
Park Signage: NO CHANGE - It turns out that the $100,000 earmark from the state was intended to pay for the new
park signage in every park, estimated at approximately $114K. Work still needs to be bid out.
FIELDS:
No updates at this point. Hoping to hold a Field Summit meeting by mid February.
Cooney lights need to be replaced. Estimate from MUSCO Lighting for $400,000-$425,000 just for the lighting
equipment. Installation could cost an additional $150,000 or more.
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PROJECT PIPELINE:
Recreation Department-
- Lynch Park Carriage House: NO CHANGE
o Garage Wall Replacement / Installation of windows
■ NEED TO GET AN ESTIMATE TO MOVE FORWARD!
■ Use private donation funds?
o Upgrade Concession Stand — Complete renovation needed to make the concession stand area a more
professional facility. There are a lot of deficiencies right now. Making these renovations will open the
door for more bids and higher revenue from the concession stand. We will start designing and planning
for this work this summer.
■ Use private donation funds?
- Pete's Park— NO CHANGE
o Still working on a few areas to complete project:
■ NEED TO MEET W/ PROJECT TEAM TO DISCUSS FINAL PLANS
■ Add bike racks for the large number of kids that are coming to the park daily.
■ Railings for ADA walkways — Still need to be bid out unless paid w/private funds.
• Still waiting for 5 signs for LWCF educational criteria to be installed.
- Basketball/Tennis Court Repairs: (Court Inventory updated —Will add recent data for all courts)
o SporTek conducted survey of four courts and provided estimates for repairs (Between $80K&$90K)
o Currently estimating up to $1.5 to fix all courts including six that just need new paint and backboards.
o Met w/ Mayor Cahill to discuss priorities and LWCF grant funding. The proposed list of courts to be
repaired as part of the LWCF and CPC grants project include:
■ Kimball Park Tennis (Replace 2 courts and add new fencing)
• Cahill Park Tennis (Replace 1 court and add new fencing)
■ Bartlett Gardens Basketball (Pulverize and repave, paint, new backboards & rims)
■ Holcroft Park Basketball (Pulverize and repave, paint, new backboards & rims)
• Carratu Park Basketball (Pulverize and repave, paint, new backboards & rims)
■ Hellard-Hubis Basketball (Pulverize and repave, paint, new backboards & rims)
o This project will cost about $1.3M including the renovation of the two Simon Street lots (14& 34) that
the city will be acquiring from the BHA. The goal is to receive a $650,000 LWCF grant, $250,000 CPC
grant (approved 1/20/22), David S. Lynch Trustee funding ($80,000 approved) and possibly some private
donations. This project will need to be designed, estimated and then bid out to determine the actual cost
and scope of the total project. If the LWCF grant is awarded, the announcement will probably be in the
spring or early summer of 2022.
o Hope to patch and paint 6 other basketball courts and replace backboards and rims by early summer
2022 (Bessie Baker, Femino, Vittori, Obear, Ahearn &Gillis). Wil need to use general budget, Enterprise
Fund or state earmarks, to pay for these upgrades.
2019-2020 CPA Pro'ect: Round 7
Park Pro'ect CPA Re uest Comments
Gillis Park Restoration of stone stairway leading $22,635 Quote from Murray Masonry for $17,450.
from playground area to Pleasant Quote from Roger Tremblay for $9,900
View Beach. Concerns about ADA accessibility to beach?
RDA approved by Con Comm.
MOU extension approved by CPC. Hope to
com feteproject in the spring of 2022
2020-2021 CPA Pro'ect: Round 8
Park Proiect CPA Request Comments
Wentworth Tot Renovating play area on Wentworth APPROVED Over $15K raised in private fundraising.
Lot Drive. Possible community gardens? $20K Funding from CPC, Lynch Trustees & POY
budget line. Equipment ordered. Hope to
install by June 2022 pending shipping date.
2021-2022 CPA Pro'ect: Round 9
Park Pro'ect CPA Re uest Comments
Replace / Replace tennis courts @ Cahill and $250K The CPC request was just for 3 tennis
Rehabilitate 3 Cove Parks. Rehabilitate basketball courts to be replaced. The full project
Tennis &4 courts at Holcroft, Gilbert, Curratu includes funding from LWCF grant.
Basketball and Hellard-Hubis Parks. Renovate CPC approved the $250,000 request at
Courts new parklets on Simon Street. their 1/20/22 meeting.
2022-2023 CPA Pro'ect???: Round 10
Park Pro'ect CPA Re uest Comments
Holcroft Renovate Holcroft Park on Gage TBD in next Worked w/ Councilor Ames. Working w/
Park/Gage Street with some new equipment, funding Councilor Crowley. Looking for grants,
Street benches, tables, picnic areas, court round? business sponsorships, private donations,
Playground improvements, etc. etc. Additional funding from PARC/LWCF
grant?, Lynch Trustees & POY budget line.
Parisella family- $5000+ donation in
memory of Ralph and others
NOTE: Several citizens supporting "Pickleball" spoke about the need for more courts in Beverly. The Commission's
response was, 'The Beverly Parks & Recreation Commission support building more pickleball courts 100% and we are
actively looking for a location that has adequate space for multiple courts and parking and that does not disrupt the
neighborhoods." Some areas identified are being investigated:
Birch Plains - Needs approval from the Conservation Commission
Beverly Golf&Tennis Club -The tennis courts at the BG&T Club have clay surfaces.
Mayor Cahill is working with the Planning Department, Engineering and Beverly Recreation to investigate the use of Birch
Plains and creating a design for 8 courts and potentially additional parking on site. The final p[lans will need to be
approved by the Conservation Commission.
Meeting adjourned at7;50PM,
Respectfully submitted,
Bruce Doig, Director of Parks, Recreation &Community Services