TOWN OF BEDFORD
PARKS & RECREATION COMMISION
MEETING MINUTES
January 9, 2007
Present were: Lori Radke (TC alt), Michelle Casale, Chairman Foster, William Foote, Mike Scanlon (TC Rep), and Chief Bailey (Acting Town Manager/Acting Parks Director)
Chairman Foster opened the meeting at 7 p.m.
OLD BUSINESS – Playground Subcommittee
Ms. Casale said we are very happy with our fundraising to date, we have raised $27,775 and our goal on the low end is $50,000 so we are just $22,000 short of our goal. Of that $27,000 breaks down the following way; we have sold a total of 169 bricks and Jane put together this list for me today, I would like to share this with you, these are the actual names of the 169 people, but when you look at four full pages of families that have supported this effort, it just puts it in a different perspective. Chairman Foster commented that is fantastic. Ms. Casale said we are very happy that 169 families have stepped up and supported the project financially.
On the grant side we have $12,000, which is not new news at this point, $10,000 from the Ann DiNicola Trust and $2,000 from Healthy New Hampshire. New information is that Hannaford has donated $2,500 and we will be doing a check presentation on Feb 5th with a representative from the corporate office for that $2,500. The balance, the $22,000 that we do need to fund raise, will be raised via an auction. The Bedford Friends of Recreation has offered to have an auction on March 16th at CR Sparks and the playground will be the sole beneficiary of those proceeds. Jim Morgan will be the auctioneer and Bill Greiner and Joe Correia are the contact people for that. Our subcommittee will support them in the gathering of silent auction items to other things that they may need.
The goal of the fundraiser is to raise at least $30,000 that is a goal that they felt comfortable with.
The other interesting phone call I received in the area of fundraising had to do with Home Depot. I had approached them to give a cash donation $5,000 and they called me back and they submitted our application for their National Kaboom program, which is a program in which they fund a playground completely. They supply the equipment, the personnel to build it as well as the surfacing and the vendor that they use is one called Playworld Systems, which is one of the five that we have looked at already. I know it is a shot in the dark, but of course I gave them permission to submit it and we should know in the month of January if that comes to be. So the fundraising to date $27,700 we are very pleased with that in two months.
Under Miscellaneous with regards to Camp Allen, I know that the Chief has talked to them, and I have heard that they will sign a waiver and will have until mid-April to dismantle. Chief Bailey said I got the liability form from the Attorney and I need direction from the Commission as to how much time I can give them to dismantle this. There are conflicting reports as to when it needs to be down and Jane said today we would like to do something shortly, but I tentatively said April 15th and if that is okay with you people that will be the bottom line date that I give them. Who knows they may take a look at it and find it is hard to take apart.
Chairman Foster asked the Chief is there is any possibility, and I am assuming you are going to talk to the folks at Camp Allen, but try to get a firm commitment, because we have some things that we need to do. Chief Bailey said I understand that.
Chairman Foster said if Wayne is available and if we wait until April 15th and they say they don’t want it or that they cannot use it, we could have known that on Feb 1st. Chief Bailey said that is a good point and I know they are trying to assemble a group of volunteers. I have not signed anything yet, but I will try to get it out of there as soon as possible. Is April 15th okay for a drop-dead date? I would think even if it snows they should be able to do some of the work.
Chairman Foster said if we have to pick a date, then April 15th is very generous I think. They should be able to move those things out by then. I don’t think it will take many days to do that it is just a matter of getting them all together. Chief Bailey said I will try to get them to get it out of there ASAP.
Chairman Foster said we are offering Timber Town to them, but they have to take it down and move it and it would be better if they could do it sooner. Chief Bailey said they are very excited about it and our Attorney said a waiver is no problem and it will cover us and it even covers them going on the property to take it apart.
Chairman Foster said my only concern is in mid-April our Parks Maintenance starts getting busy whether it is Wayne and whoever is available in Town with their regular spring stuff. Chief Bailey said I will try to get them to get it out of there and I will do the best I can. Chairman Foster said super.
Ms. Casale said the last piece of information is what our subcommittee will be doing next and we are meeting tomorrow and we will discuss picking a vendor and how we can support the Friends of Recreation auction with item solicitation as well as a marketing strategy to focus on business bricks which we have not focused on at all. I will take any questions.
Chairman Foster asked Michelle I am assuming we will be selling bricks right up to? Ms. Casale said we have a deadline of the end of March. We have flyers around Town and of course we are on the website: BedfordRecOnline.com.
Mr. Foote mentioned that he has to buy his brick. Ms. Radke also said she still has to buy hers too. Chairman Foster said there are two. We have some people who procrastinate. Mr. Foote said my wife has the checkbook. Chairman Foster said that is a good excuse; I don’t know what Lori’s excuse is.
Mr. Foote asked do we have any idea of when the barn raising will be? Ms. Casale said no, we are aiming for early summer or late spring. If we order it after the funds are officially approved in March, say we order the middle or end of March, depending on the vendor it could take 4-6 weeks for it to arrive. We are talking mid-May, end-of-May or beginning of June we want to catch the summer season.
Chairman Foster said again excellent job.
OLD BUSINESS - Bedford Basketball League Update
Chairman Foster asked Jane if we have an estimate? Ms. O’Brien stated we do not have an estimate, as Joe Champagne has been out with pneumonia. He has looked at the site and plans to get us a written quote, but I do not have one this evening this will have to be tabled.
NEW BUSINESS – Cross Country Ski Club
Rich Holstein (President CC Ski Team) and Alan Goedecke (16 Gray Rock Road) came up to the microphone.
Mr. Holstein said first of all I would like to apologize to Jane because I promised her a status a few weeks ago and never got it to her. Mr. Goedecke said he also had one written up a few months ago and it ended up somewhere and never gave it to Jane.
Mr. Goedecke said at present we have completed an awful lot of the exterior basically it was all done and I will explain that in a second. On the interior the walls are partially finished. The rough electrical has been inspected and approved. The basement we have poured a floor and there is a passage way from old building to the other. When we first presented our plans we didn’t think we were going to have a basement, but we had run into ledge and when we did the actual digging we found that the ledge was easy to break up so we could put in almost a full basement. It is probably 6ft 6 inches high at the lowest point and about 7 ft 2 inches at the highest. Connection for the water, we have a sleeve installed through the foundation to the pump house, we need to push a line through
that and we are just waiting for the rough plumbing to be approved and then we can proceed with that. We have not done the kitchen fixtures although we have them. The ceiling is completely done. The insulation is waiting. The septic system was done, but what our big hold up is right now is that the building inspector said we need a sleeve around the pipe to the septic tank and it is not to code. Why he told us this about two days ago when the pipe has been in for almost a year and he inspected the foundation and the septic, I don’t know. I have not had the chance to ask him why he didn’t tell us back then. Like I said all of the wiring has been done and we have most of the fixtures. We have a hot water tank up there and it is ready to be installed. Our next, what we want done is the insulation for the basement and they can install the water tank on the wall and we can go from there.
Chairman Foster asked Mr. Goedecke do you have a target date? Mr. Goedecke said our drop-dead target date… Chairman Foster commented it was last year. Mr. Goedecke said well we are suppose to be hosting the, not suppose to be, we are hosting the State Championship on Feb 13th.
Mr. Holstein said this would be the Cross Country State Running Championship.
Mr. Goedecke said it has been discouraging for our kids and us too, as coaches and we have two of our coaches here. We are just having an awful hard time. We would just like to get the bathrooms operational by then and have the kitchen operation by then too. We are kind of running out of steam as well as funds. We have enough to pay the electrician and the plumber for the fixtures, so some of the finish work we may have struggle with as we don’t know the cost and those things are kind of bottling us. Other than that, we really have got a lot done. It is a building.
Chairman Foster said are you looking for spring? Mr. Goedecke said we are looking for Feb 13th we are going to try. There is just a couple of little things on the plumbing, even if we don’t get the sleeve in, the rest of the plumbing we can button up. We had to take the boards off as it is cedar inside and after we ran some wires we found that they changed the code so we had to rip the walls apart, take all the wires out. So it has been one step forward and two steps back.
Mr. Holstein said when we were here last year there are two items that was mentioned. There was some talk about putting something in the budget for this current year and I don’t know what happened to that. There was talk also about any money left over which did not pay salaries after the Skateboard Park was finished and if there are any remainders from that? Chairman Foster said we could ask the Town Council persons. Mr. Scanlon said I do recall that conversation and I guess my question at this point is Jane is there any money left in the Parks & Rec budget? Ms. O’Brien said no there is nothing left. Mr. Holstein said so all that money went into the skateboard park. Ms. O’Brien said skateboard park got finished, but you would have gotten
some money if there was any money left over after paying employees, because we had to increase Paula’s hours to help cover for Craig. There is nothing left in the 2006 budget, there is nothing left from Craig’s salary. The way the motion was written, if there was something left after the Skateboard Park was finished in December, then we would turn monies over to Cross Country. Chairman Foster commented that he remembered, how Keith had amended that motion to state any left over during the month of December.
Mr. Scanlon asked Mr. Holstein and Mr. Goedecke what do you need to finish it? Mr. Goedecke said $5,000 would be a big help. We probably have enough cash on hand to finish it, but we have borrowed $5,000. Mr. Holstein said so we have enough cash in hand to finish the major jobs. The little jobs to finish the project, that will have to be paid with further fundraising.
Mr. Scanlon said I would say that on Jan 24th when we have our first budget hearing, the Councils first budget hearing and see want to come that night or I can see if the Council would be supportive to add $5,000 to the Parks & Recreation budget because the spirit was that you were suppose to get some money, I do recall our conversation.
Mr. Goedecke said we raised $30,000 and we have put in about $15,000 worth of labor, so. Mr. Scanlon asked was there any contribution from the Town side? Mr. Goedecke said no. Then he said well, yes and no, they spread loam. Mr. Scanlon said I am talking cash, just monetary? Mr. Holstein said he didn’t have the number on the top of his head. Mr. Scanlon suggested if you want to come on the 24th and if you cannot, I could mention it. The Town has always been supportive of matching funds for lack of a better word. I cannot promise you anything because there are 7 people that sit there, but if you need $5,000 to complete the job this shouldn’t be the end of the world.
Mr. Holstein said just to let you know last year the estimate of the number of people using it and it is well over 1000. Mr. Scanlon said I agree and support it. Mike asked Chief Bailey to ask Crystal if there is any money left from last years budget some place else that we can fund this. I do remember the conversation that if there was money left from this year we would contribute. Ms. Radke said she too remembers the conversation. Mr. Scanlon said maybe we can give them something from the 2006 budget.
Mr. Holstein said giving you some history of precedent of trying to work things with the School Board if they could contribute as well because Bedford High School will be using these facilities, so it is not just the Town, but also the School. Mr. Scanlon commented, Sue what do you think? Sue seems pretty agreeable to that. Chairman Foster commented, didn’t she say they have extra money? Mr. Scanlon said that would be a request that you would ask the School Board.
Mr. Goedecke said from the local schools we charge $150 per team for the year to use the facilities and the three Manchester schools and we have also. Mr. Scanlon said so Manchester schools have been using that. What do we charge them? Mr. Goedecke said this goes for the grooming and trying to keep it so you can ski on and fixing the trails. We also paid out $3,500 for an excavator on the Powder Hill Trail to remove rocks and stumps and such.
Chairman Foster said you had a lot of damage from last spring and the high water. I remember walking around and you had damage from the high water. Mr. Goedecke said we repaired that and there is no figure on that. We do between $4,000-$10,000 a year of labor on those trails to get them ready for skiing and putting in culverts and bank areas and clear so it is an awful lot.
Mr. Scanlon said just speaking for myself, I appreciate it. I don’t do Cross Country Ski, but we have tried to be supportive with maintaining the trails and we have given you money for lights.
Mr. Goedecke said there are hundreds of people who just walk their dog. If you go out there any day and you walk that trial you will meet someone who is walking a dog, if not several. The other thing that we were hoping and I asked Wayne to get a key for the lights and the answer I got from him was you can’t use them. I said what is the deal. I said does the soccer league pay for the lights when they use them. I was told that it was wired for lower lights for us, which no one told us about and we were suppose to pay for that. Again no one told us that they were wiring it and we were suppose to pay for it. Mr. Scanlon said no, we paid for those. You don’t need the full lights, you need lower lights. Mr. Goedecke said on the other field, we paid a few years
back we paid $500 for that.
Chairman Foster said we put money in for the lights at Chubbuck field. Mr. Scanlon said yes because they were installed. Ms. O’Brien said that Alan is talking about Legacy the new multipurpose field. Mr. Goedecke said the soccer field. Chubbuck Road we did the lights, we paid the $500. Mr. Scanlon said and the Town paid the rest. Mr. Goedecke said and…
Mr. Scanlon asked Jane was Legacy wired for those? Ms. O’Brien said Legacy was wired for them. We put the wiring in, but they need the lower lights and that was decided at a Commission meeting. Mr. Scanlon said so we didn’t install the lower lights? Ms. O’Brien said we put the wiring and conduits; we did not do the lower lights.
Mr. Goedecke said he tried to get a hold of Jutras yesterday, but… Ms. O’Brien said Joe Champagne has been out sick. Mr. Scanlon said it couldn’t be that much we are talking about four light posts? Mr. Goedecke said no it is not that much. Part of the thing is, on the occasion, if we were to have a race we really need the bigger ones. The other ones are fine to ski by, but you cannot read a stopwatch unless you are right under the lights. What would be harm in using it for 2 hours? I would doubt if we would use it 10 hours in the whole season.
Mr. Scanlon said anybody could use those lights. Ms. O’Brien said we did ask Keith and he said no he was not putting the higher lights on. Mr. Goedecke said it was? Ms. O’Brien said Keith told you that when you were in the office. Mr. Scanlon said and Keith isn’t here anymore. Ms. O’Brien said I know he is not. Mr. Goedecke said if he did say that, what is the reason for that. Why would you put it on for a soccer team, but not for a ski team, I don’t get that. Mr. Foote asked what was Keith’s rationale? Ms. O’Brien said because there was no snow right now. Mr. Scanlon said yes let’s put the lights on and maybe it will snow. Mr. Goedecke said in December we sometimes finish our practice with soccer. So we
ended at 5 p.m. so it is about ½ an hours worth of lights. The thing that made it really bad was, one of our coaches happened to be over on Chubbuck and there were two guys out there playing catch and they had the lights on. So that really is a slap in the face for us, I am sorry.
Mr. Foote said do we need a motion. Mr. Scanlon said I think the Chief can handle that. Chairman Foster said the Chief has big shoulders over there and he can handle it. Mr. Goedecke said if the Town could pay for those lower lights since we have done all this work on the addition we would really appreciate that at this point.
Mr. Scanlon asked Jane please check and Jutras. While he is looking at the basketball court, can you get an estimate as to what it will cost. Ms. O’Brien said he looked at the court, but I don’t have a written estimate, but I will have him go back again. Mr. Scanlon said let’s get an estimate to put the four lights out, I just cannot believe we didn’t do that before, that is bizarre.
Mr. Goedecke said that is all we need most of the time. If we were having a big event like a major race or something. Actually with the lights there we could plan that for next year, certainly with Bedford High School coming on board and I suppose I should let you know that I have talked with the Athletic Director and he is excited about our facilities and what we can offer for the kids. Of course some of them are on the West team and they will be the sophomores next year, so we will start off running with a team. We have suggested two names for coaches as well.
Chairman Foster said that is a good reason for you to go to the School Board for some funding as they are going to be having a School team there. Mr. Goedecke said we will make it busy. We have 70 kids right now and it is a little bit hard especially with the hut torn up and construction stuff around so we don’t have the full space of the old hut at this point, but it will be crowded next year. When you have that many kids there is this energy that is developed and the kids feed off it and it gives a lot of enthusiasm.
Ms. Casale asked does anyone else use this facility other than Manchester? Mr. Holstein said Nashua North, Nashua South. Mr. Goedecke said Derryfield, which is a lot of Bedford kids, also is a member. Concord joined last year and even if Concord didn’t join they were here at the State Championships. Keene was here and as a matter of fact we ended up hosting the Division III State Championship because there was no snow anywhere else in the State. I don’t know if you remember, we had a snowfall on Sunday and we had the races on Tuesday and Tuesday night the snow was gone. It was gift from God that we were able to hold that. There were more than 400 skiers alone. We get people from all the Towns around here, Amherst, Auburn, Candia, Goffstown that come and ski here. Souhegan in Milford teams have come here. This is the absolute premiere municipal ski area in South Central New Hampshire.
Mr. Foote said you don’t charge admission or access? Mr. Goedecke said when we have a race we charge a fee for races unless they are members of the club. If they paid the $150 their entire skiers ski in the race for free. If they are not members, the State Championship we charged $75 per team. Mr. Foote said that is when you grab an organized school. If people just wander in and use the facility. If we are a regional resource. Mr. Holstein said it is the Town’s land.
Mr. Goedecke said I would love to suggest that we do a study, or that the Commission does a study, to see about actually running this as a municipal ski area similar to McIntyre including snow making. This year it would not have worked, as it has been so unbelievably warm. If you take the track in the heart of Boston, Weston ski track, they have 1,000 of people who use that facility because they make the snow and they have skiing there regularly. This year they are hurting, but so is everyone hurting. This could easily be set up as we have everything in place to make it a financial success to the Town. It would take; you need people to run it. If you are going to do snow making, you need people who can do the snow making, but McIntyre does it and we could do it for Cross Country as well.
Chairman Foster said we could have a potential ski jump. Mr. Goedecke said that I am not sure what you’re talking about. Chairman Foster said the old Town Dump the highest point in Bedford. Mr. Goedecke said actually the hill could be modified to make a jump there. The only draw back would be that it is roped off. Actually there is a spot by the parking lot by Riddle Brook that you could use. I figured we need to get this area finished up before we concentrate and I suggest that to the Town. That would be nice to have a facility like that. Chairman Foster said super. Are there any other questions for the Cross Country Ski folks?
Mr. Goedecke said so we should go to the budget meeting on the 24th and try to get a figure on that lighting. Mr. Scanlon said hopefully Jane will get a figure on the lighting.
Mr. Goedecke said he got a call from Jutras today late in the afternoon, but unfortunately things were going wild and I never got a chance to respond to it. I think he has those figures. Mr. Scanlon said it shouldn’t be that expensive and I cannot believe we didn’t put those up.
Mr. Goedecke said you have to wait for dry weather so you don’t put ruts in the field. Mr. Scanlon said the ground is frozen.
Mr. Scanlon said go see Chief Bailey and we will get you a key for those lights. Mr. Goedecke said we will use them very responsibly.
Chairman Foster said thank you gentlemen, is there any other New Business. This is a quiet night today. We have someone from the audience.
Andre Garron (Bedford Jaguars Football) I would like to introduce myself, I have been a resident of Bedford for the last 15 years. I want to introduce myself as the new president of Bedford Jaguars and I wanted to put a face with a name. If there is anything you need from us, please get in contact with us through Jane or at our website which is BedfordJaguars.org.
Chairman Foster said you had a great year and the cheerleaders were not too bad either. Mr. Garron said yes they are the National Champions the Pee Wee Cheerleaders. Chairman Foster asked if they are going to the Town Council? Ms. Radke said they are coming on the 24th for their Proclamation. Mr. Garron said after 7 years and a couple of State Champions and now a National Champion.
Chairman Foster asked are we going to have a loot of good running backs next year. Mr. Garron said I hope so.
Chairman Foster said congratulations.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES – December 12, 2006
MOTION made by Mr. Scanlon to approve the minutes of December 12, 2006. Seconded by Ms. Casale. Vote taken – all in favor. Minutes approved.
Chairman Foster said our next meeting is February 13th and I will be out of Town that day and Mr. Morgan has volunteered to run the meeting.
MOTION to adjourn made by Mr. Foote. Seconded by Ms. Casale. Vote taken – all in favor.
Meeting adjourned 7:45 p.m.
Submitted by Jane O’Brien
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