Parks Commission Meeting Minutes 9/21/23

9/21/23 Minutes Parks Commission

 

Present at the meeting at Town Hall: Tom Mensi, Gerry Clarin, Tracey Brennan

 

Ball Field Update: The Town Crew did a great job on renewing the field. It will dry and settle for a few weeks before it is ready to use.

 

Playground Update: The new equipment will be installed in October.

 

Beach Toilets: Yankee Portable Restrooms was not happy with the overuse of the portable toilets this year. They recommend installing an additional one next season to accommodate larger crowds at the beach. That would be a budget item we need to consider. 

 

Bidwell Park Signage: Bob Hoogs has done extensive research about the history of the mills that were once at the Bidwell Park site. He would like to create small, informative signs in the park to educate people about this part of the town’s history while not interfering with the recreational use of the park. We agreed that he should proceed with the project which will be funded by the Monterey Historical Society.

 

AED needs: We currently share the AED equipment with the Fire Company. It would be good to have our own. Right now it is in the skating rink shed for the winter.

 

Beach Railing: In an effort to make the water more accessible to all, we are going ahead with replacing the beach railing as a way to help enter the water. Gary O’Brien Property Management will clear an 8 foot swath around the railing which has become overgrown with invasive plants. This winter we will research possibilities for wheelchair access to the water.

 

Brewer Pond Trail: Greenagers has finished the trail, and we will need to mark the entrances with appropriate signage.

 

Open Space Meeting: Gerry reported on the initial meetings of the group, noting that they would like to do another town survey on the topic.

 

Kayak Pickup Date October 15 will be announced in the Monterey News as well as on the Town website.

 

Pond Hockey Tournament 2024: Alex Regen is already hard at work. He plans to hold the tournament on Benedict Pond. We agreed to cover the liability insurance policy ($500) and hope there will be ice. In the meantime Alex is working to establish in the future an outdoor rink in Pittsfield with refrigerated ice. This would be something the whole community could use all winter and would address the new problem of ice scarcity. 

 

Pollinator Group: We approved the temporary sign the group will install at their beach planter box. We prefer the smaller size (14 x 14). We discussed how expensive the permanent sign appears to be and emphasized that we will have to approve it.

 

Next Meeting: October 19

 

Tracey Brennan