Culture, Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes - 10/24/2013

Culture, Parks and Recreation Commission

Regular Meeting

Thursday, October 24, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall Main Meeting Room

DRAFT MINUTES

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 7:33 p.m. by Chairman David Bush. Other present C. P. & R. Commission members included Marc Lubetkin, Harry Ryan, Gerry Wetjen, Bill Mullen, and Frank Salls. The C. P. & R. Director, Gerry Toner, also attended.

Minutes from Last Meeting

Mr. Wetjen made a motion to approve the September 2013 draft minutes. Mr. Ryan seconded the motion. Mr. Lubetkin made a slight amendment to the September 2013 draft minutes. Mr. Wetjen made a motion to approve the amended minutes. Mr. Salls seconded the motion. Most were in favor. There were two abstentions. The motion passed.

Youth Sports Subcommittee

A list of seven bulleted recommendations by the Youth Sports Subcommittee was distributed. Mr. Ryan noted that Mr. Kearney had done an excellent job, and Mr. Bush extended his sincere thanks to Mr. Kearney and to the subcommittee. Formal policies for each team were recommended to address AEDs and CPR; AED and CPR-trained adults on-site during play; first aid kits, as well as background checks and training for coaches. Commission members made a small change to the sixth bulleted point, for clarification. Mr. Ryan made a motion to adopt the Youth Sports Subcommittee recommendations, as amended. Mr. Salls seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion passed. Mr. Toner noted that he would send the amended list to all town youth sports teams, and encourage them to talk to him if they find it difficult to meet some or all of the recommendations.

Summer Program / Facility Reports

Mr. Toner distributed three reports:  1. A summer 2013 Program Summary and a summer 2014 Camp Recommendation List composed by Taryn Rea, Recreation Supervisor. 2. A 5-page spreadsheet comparing the 2013 revenues to the 2012 revenues for all summer programs (except aquatics). 3. A 2-page 2013 Aquatic Revenue Report comparing the last 4 years. Overall, camp and aquatics enrollment and revenues were down from last year. Many factors were cited, such as a shorter season, July 4 falling during the planned first week, and the inflexibility of 2-week camps. Surveys have been sent out. While most of the comments were positive, it was noted that communication between camp staffers and parents could be improved. Mr. Toner noted that the aquatics staff was scaled down, as needed, to save on expenses. Special themes at the SF pool, such as “Music Mondays,” and “Waterslide Wednesdays” helped improve the numbers for “Open Swim” times.

Special Revenue Fund (SRF) Report

Two reports were distributed for comparison: 1. A SRF Fiscal Year Comparison from FY 2007/08 to FY 2013/14—with C. P. & R. administrative costs listed as expenses, as they are currently, and 2. A SRF Fiscal Year Comparison from FY 2008/09 to FY 2012/13—with the C. P. & R. administrative costs not listed as expenses. Mr. Wetjen argued that using the Special Revenue Fund to pay administrative costs (which includes salaries, fringe benefits, insurance, and unemployment compensation) is causing the C. P. & R. Department to run into shortfalls every year. In addition, the town runs on a fiscal year, while all town recreation activities run on a calendar year and depend on good weather. This causes financial discrepancies.

Golf Course Business Plan Discussion

Mr. Wetjen distributed a 37-page work-in-progress report with spreadsheets and photographs, detailing the history of Simsbury Farms, its funding plan, and a comprehensive review of its golf course.

He submitted it for approval at the Simsbury Farms Complex Committee’s (SFCC) last meeting. There were not enough members present to constitute a quorum, so approval will be deferred another month. Mr. Bush noted that if the SFCC cannot vote at its next meeting, it should be brought to the C. P. & R. Commission’s next meeting for approval and the formation of a subcommittee.

Commission Bylaws & Mission Statement

Mr. Toner handed out revised versions of the C. P. & R. Commission mission statement and the bylaws. Both needed to be submitted to the commission at least two weeks before being voted upon. He asked commission members to review the documents and contact him with any further revisions before the next meeting. No original versions of the mission statement and bylaws were provided for comparison. Mr. Toner agreed to email them to commission members.

Simsbury Celebrates

Mr. Bush received an email from the Simsbury Celebrates Committee asking for volunteers for the event. He respectfully requested that each commission member take a shift as part of their service commitment to the town. A draft of the Simsbury Celebrates program was passed around. It was recommended that the town web site have a link to the Simsbury Celebrates web site.

Memorial Pool Study / Parks Master Plan

Mr. Lubetkin requested that the C. P. & R. Commission appoint a subcommittee to work on a 5 and 10 year master plan for all of Simsbury C. P. & R.’s facilities and open space. Mr. Bush’s goal is to establish a subcommittee and have 1 meeting before the end of the year. Mr. Lubetkin estimates that the subcommittee will meet monthly for about a year, and will present a finished report by October 2014. Mr. Lubetkin volunteered to be the chairperson, and Mr. Bush volunteered to be on the subcommittee. Members of the SFCC will also be invited to participate.

Simsbury Farms Facility of Merit Award

The renovated Simsbury Farms main building was recently given a “Facility of Merit Award” by the state Recreation and Park Association. While the award has no cash prize, Mr. Toner acknowledged that it is an honor to be recognized, and a testament to the many people who worked countless hours planning, designing, constructing and overseeing the project. The good news will appear on the Simsbury Patch web site and in all the local newspapers.

Other Business

Mr. Wetjen reported that vandalism has been an ongoing problem at the golf course. Recently, golf carts were burned, lawn lights were stolen, and windows were blown out of the excavator. In order to mitigate destruction, the police department installed two cameras at the SF main building, and the C. P. & R. Department installed cameras at other critical locations on the golf course. Mr. Wetjen will also research other security options.

The Simsbury Farms Golf Course will have a new marketing initiative with CBS Radio in place for the 2014 golf season.

Adjournment

Mr. Wetjen made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Mullen seconded the motion. All were in favor. The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

Next Meeting

The C. P. & R. Commission’s next regular meeting will take place on Thursday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Main Meeting Room.

Respectfully submitted,

Lorrie McElligott

Commission Clerk