Culture, Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes - 04/25/2013
Culture, Parks, and Recreation Commission
Regular Meeting
Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Main Meeting Room
MINUTES
I. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 7:34 p.m. by Chairman David Bush. Other present C., P. & R. Commission members included Harry Ryan, Gerry Wetjen, Bill Mullen, Frank Salls, Marc Lubetkin, Kelly Kearney and Steve Spalla. Gerry Toner, the C., P. & R. Director; Mike Wallace, Simsbury Farms golf course superintendent, and Andy Waggoner, vice president of the Simsbury Farms Men’s Club were also in attendance.
Chairman David Bush welcomed new member, Steve Spalla to the C., P. & R. Commission.
II. Minutes from Last Meeting
Mr. Lubetkin made a motion to approve the February 28, 2013 C, P, & R Draft Minutes. Mr. Wetjen seconded the motion. Mr. Bush abstained from the motion because he was not present at the last meeting. The minutes were approved and the motion was passed.
III. Old Business
Youth Sports Subcommittee. Mr. Kearney presented a 1-page summary spreadsheet of the information he gathered as a result of the surveys sent out to the town’s youth sports groups. Several categories were included. Mr. Salls recommended that another category be added: Whether teams have a documented plan for mandatory playing time for each team member. Mr. Kearney noted that the subcommittee will turn this data into a recommendation list for the town to distribute to youth sports teams. It will offer guidelines for safety (AEDs and First Aid), as well as for coach and referee certification and training.
IV. New Business
Eagle Scout Project Proposal. Dan Girardi plans to renovate the garden area around the Orrin Kilbourn WWI veteran monument located in front of the Apple Barn. Orrin Kilbourn, of Orkil Farms in West Simsbury, sold his property to the town in 1968. In 1986, his widow donated a memorial to Orrin. Two benches, a flagpole, and a once beautiful garden are included on the site. An arborist has noted that many of the trees are dying or diseased. Dan plans to clean up the overgrowth, take down the distressed trees, and replant the garden area with smaller flowering shrubs and an assortment of flowers. He hopes that all the new plantings will be donated by local nurseries, and he expects to do all the manual work with the help of his troop. He will present his proposal to his troop and to the Board of Selectmen next week. Once everything is approved, Dan expects to begin work mid-May. Mr. Toner has notified the Simsbury Garden Club about the project.
Mr. Salls made a motion to approve Dan’s Eagle Scout proposal to renovate the Orrin Kilbourn memorial WWI monument site. Mr. Wetjen seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion was passed unanimously.
Golf Course Improvement Funding Proposal. A 2-page summary and history of the Simsbury Farms Golf Course, with 6 attached appendices (A – F) was distributed by email to commission members prior to this meeting. With this literature as a backdrop, Mr. Wetjen proposed that the Simsbury Farms Golf Course (SFGC) institute a surcharge to generate funds exclusively for course maintenance. He noted that 14 other local courses use surcharges for this purpose. The surcharge would have to be reasonable so that SFGC could still be highly competitive in the local market. Mr. Wetjen estimated that a modest surcharge would provide a steady stream of funds that would add up to an extra $50,000 to $70,000 per year. Mr. Wallace noted that it would help him take care of critical maintenance needs that are not funded in the current budget but must be addressed within the year. Commission members were concerned about whether the extra surcharge would be clearly advertised; whether the funds would be accumulated or spent as quickly as they came in; whether the surcharge fund would be temporary or permanent, and how the surcharge fund would be set up so that the monies would be used as they were intended. A long discussion followed. Mr. Wetjen noted that if the surcharge were instituted, it would have to be approved by the commission, and then the Boards of Selectmen and Finance. Mr. Kearney requested that Mr. Toner and Mr. Wallace put together a comprehensive plan and budget for golf course prevention and maintenance issues, and then report back to the commission. He asked for a detailed and prioritized five year forecast that would outline what the golf course needs, when it needs it, and how much it will cost. The commission agreed that this would be essential before their approval and a presentation to the town. Mr. Waggoner suggested that Mr. Toner and Mr. Wallace create an optimistic, a realistic, and a pessimistic budget scenario in their forecast. Mr. Wetjen, on behalf of the C., P. & R. Commission, thanked Andy and the Men’s Club for their generous $5,000 grant and for funding, once again, a new vibratory set of rollers for the course.
Open Space Maintenance Plan / Budget Update. Mr. Toner distributed a 4-page report titled “Draft: Simsbury Open Space Management.” The first page details how Simsbury has acquired 2,300 acres of open space and 447 acres of local park space, and how it manages and classifies its open space property. The second and third pages break down the maintenance expenses for the Farmington Valley Greenway. The fourth page discusses Simsbury’s Forest Management Program. Mr. Toner admitted that while the C., P. & R. Department has absorbed more and more open space over the years, the department’s funding and personnel have not increased to keep up with its maintenance. He noted several concerns: 1. The FV Greenway maintenance is labor-intensive and time-consuming. 2. Fighting invasive species is a continual problem, and 3. Contracted tree work is an increasing expense, as many damaged trees in open space areas border private property. Mr. Wetjen questioned whether a line item could be made in the C., P. & R budget or the Open Space Committee’s budget to fund these expenses. Mr. Lubetkin offered the idea of creating an Adopt-an-Open-Space Program in Simsbury. Mr. Toner met today with the First Selectman to discuss how this problem can be handled over the next five years.
V. Other Business
Mr. Lubetkin mentioned that he would like to make a presentation about Memorial Field and Pool, which had been postponed from a previous meeting. He preferred to do the presentation on-site, and asked that this be listed on the agenda for the C., P. & R. Commission’s June meeting.
Mr. Wetjen reported that the Simsbury Patch web site has posted something about the Simsbury Farms Golf Course every day this week. He met on Monday with John Verrengia, the head golf professional, and the SFGC staff to discuss the marketing plan for the golf course. He noted that the SFGC web site now offers a blog space, and links to Facebook and Twitter.
The golf course restaurant will be receiving its liquor license on April 28.
Mr. Bush and Mr. Toner will work on the mission statement, policies and procedures for the Culture, Parks and Recreation Commission in the next month. They will report on it at the next meeting.
VI. Adjournment
Mr. Wetjen made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Mullen seconded the motion. All were in favor. The motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 p.m.
VII. Next Meeting
The C., P. & R. Commission’s next regular meeting will take place on Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Main Meeting Room.
Respectfully submitted,
Lorrie McElligott, Commission Clerk