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MINUTES OF THE RAYNHAM PARK & RECREATION COMMISSION
Regular Monthly Meeting, April 5, 2011, 6:00 p.m.
Raynham Senior Center, 2215 King Philip Street, Raynham, MA
In Attendance: Chairman Jim Sullivan, Commissioner Joe Doyle, Commissioner Chris Shaw, Director Elizabeth Francis, and Administrative Assistant/Recording Secretary SJ Blanchard.
The Chairman called the meeting to order at 6:08 p.m. and asked for a motion to approve the minutes of the March 1, 2011 Commission meeting. Joe made a motion to accept the minutes as printed. Chris seconded the motion, and all three voted unanimously in favor of the motion.
The Chair recognized Jack Leddy of 106 Overlook Drive, Raynham. Leddy, brother-in-law of the late Raynham teacher Susan M. Leddy, inquired about the possibility of dedicating the RMS tennis courts in her memory. He noted that she was a 1971 B-R graduate, and a 1975 graduate of Bridgewater State University, where she captained the tennis, gymnastics, and swim teams. She “was a huge asset to the Town of Raynham – she lived here, taught here, and was devoted to the kids of Raynham,” he added. The Chair responded that the Department will look into its jurisdiction in this matter, where they are school courts on town property. Chris added that such a dedication would be completely appropriate, that it’s just a matter of procedure. Liz will check with Randy to see
whether it is a Board of Selectmen issue and if the matter requires going before the School Committee, she said that she would do that. Chris made a motion to have the Commission follow-up with a letter to Randy and the Selectmen; Joe seconded the motion and a unanimous vote followed.
Cathy Donnelly, representing the Raynham Renegades, explained that while she knows that her organization did not pay 2010’s field-use fee of $500, according to her coaches, the fields were almost never used due to parental concerns over mosquitoes. In light of this, she asked whether she still owed the entire amount. The Chair explained that her group was not alone in its mosquito concerns and the public’s general unease with being outside late in the day. Additionally, specific field space was reserved for her group, and had that not been the case, it could have produced income by being rented out to others. Joe also pointed out that the Renegades were on fields that had been closed. The full 2010 fee was paid at this meeting.
The following spring field-use applications were acted on:
- The Raynham Renegades submitted a field request for six Sunday afternoon home games, which Liz said presents two time or date conflicts, and another request for fields for two practices per week after 4:30 p.m. Chris made a motion to approve the requests, contingent upon space availability and payment of a $500 fee; Joe seconded the motion and a unanimous vote followed.
- Old Colony Men’s Soccer (Raynham team) requested the use of any available soccer field on Monday evenings from 6 to 8:30 from early June to late August. Joe made a motion to approve with a fee of $500; Chris seconded the motion and a unanimous vote followed.
- Coyle-Cassidy JV Baseball requested the use of the McKenney Babe Ruth Field for various dates beginning April 4. Liz noted that McKenney may be under construction, in which case they can be accommodated on Burke Field. Chris made a motion to approve with a $500 fee; Joe seconded the motion and a unanimous vote followed.
- NBHA (George Pacheco) submitted a request to use the horse ring and Gymkhana building on seven regular dates and three rain dates on weekends between May 1 and Oct. 16. It was pointed out that in the past George has made many site and property improvements there in lieu of a fee. Chris made a motion to approve; it was seconded by Joe and a unanimous vote followed.
- Mass. Rough Riders Inc. (John Ford) submitted its request for the horse ring and Gymkhana building on 14 dates from April to October. Joe made a motion to approve, with a fee of $400; Chris seconded the motion and a unanimous vote followed.
- Northbrook Academy requested three afternoon hours twice a week at the Borden Colony multi-purpose field from March 18 to June 2. Joe made a motion to approve with a fee of $250 and the stipulation that the group be off the soccer fields at 4 p.m. sharp; Chris seconded the motion and a unanimous vote followed.
- Colonial Road Runners (Jim DuPont) requested the use of the Gymkhana restrooms and the Park & Rec. parking lot as start and end points for Monday evening runs from May 3 to Aug. 30. Chris made a motion to approve, with no fee; Joe seconded the motion and a unanimous vote followed.
- DePuy/Johnson & Johnson requested the use of the Borden Colony softball field from 5 to 8 p.m. beginning May 9 through Sept. 8, on Wednesdays and Thursdays (with a possibility of only one evening per week). Chris made a motion to approve with a $1,000 fee; Joe seconded the motion and a unanimous vote followed.
- Christ Community Church (East Taunton) requested the use of the Borden Colony softball field with lights starting April 1 through Sept. 15: Mondays from 5 to 8 p.m., Tuesdays from 5 to 10 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Joe made a motion to approve with a $1,250 fee; Chris seconded the motion and a unanimous vote followed.
- Sunday Morning Softball (Michael Graff) requested the use of Reid and Borden Colony softball fields on Sundays between April 17 and Oct. 30 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Chris made a motion to approve with a fee of $1,250; Joe seconded the motion and a unanimous vote followed. It was noted that this group owes $250 for the 2010 season.
- Coyle-Cassidy girls and boys lacrosse submitted a field-use request for Reid and South School fields should their usual site at Hopewell is unavailable for practices. Their’s is a varied Monday – Friday schedule from 3 to 5 p.m. and they would need a maximum of 20 dates between April 5 and mid-June. Chris made a motion to approve the request pending need, with a $500 fee. Joe seconded the motion and a unanimous vote followed.
- Chris made a motion to approve the Reed Brothers’ lease of the farm stand for $1,000; Joe seconded the motion and a unanimous vote followed.
Liz reported on the following:
- She recommends getting on a re-grading schedule to maintain field dryness. She feels that this is a good investment because in the long run, much less will be spent on materials and repairs.
- She is looking into year-end expenditures and spending projects and has compiled the following possibilities: one more picnic table at Bettencourt Field, replacement of the sign at the street in front of the office, another set of bleachers for the multi-purpose field, painting the tennis courts, and siding the rental house. Chris suggested that Liz have Building Inspector Dennis Machado look at the condition of the rental house and assess it.
- She has spoken with Dana, an engineer with TMLP, about fixing the damaged set of large field lights on Bettencourt Field. She also obtained quotes from Island Lighting, all of which would require going out to bid. To upgrade the cross arms (doubling the singles) on the remaining seven fixtures: $5,525. For all eight: $6,920. To upgrade what’s there with sports lights would be an additional $205 per hour for the bucket and $440 for the fixtures. Liz will ask TMLP if they could do the work that Island Lighting is proposing, and she will have TMLP inspect all of the other poles for wear.
- The farmland has been surveyed into four separate parcels prior to putting it out to bid. The pumpkin farmer currently leases eight acres at $100/acre and he will move his plantings to another parcel for crop rotation, for this, his third year farming here.
- Due to this June’s late school closing caused by the number of snow days, our usual playground schedule is going to be off, leaving us with just seven weeks rather than eight. This necessitates starting July 5 and running two three-week schedules and one last single week, ending August 19. Costs would be $180 per three-week half day session, or $60 for the final week, or $420 per three-week full day session, or $140 for the final week. The preschool program will remain at Merrill, with all the rest of the program taking place at the LaLiberte School.
- She has received a request for a summer scholarship for one child. This is a single-parent family that has used our childcare programs and is voucher qualified. However, the parent is no longer PACE-eligible because she now attends school and doesn’t work. Liz recommends using the PACE criteria and income guidelines to assess a lower rate. Chris made a motion that she set a rate using this formula; Joe seconded the motion and a unanimous vote followed.
- Now in the final quarter of the fiscal year, all accounts remain in the black across the board.
Joe made a motion to offer the full-time position of childcare administrator to Andrea Berardi. Chris seconded the motion and a unanimous vote followed. Liz will notify Andrea and the second finalist of the vote.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
SJ Blanchard
Admin. Assistant/Recording Secretary
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