2019-06-13 TOWN OF BERLIN
Parks and Recreation Commission
230 Kensington Road • Berlin, CT 06037
Thursday,June 13,2019
7:00 p.m.
Berlin Community Center
ATTENDANCE:
Commissioners Present: Donna Bovee—Chairwoman, Don Dellaquila(arrived at 7:17 p.m.),
Andrew Legnani, Steve Hinchliffe, Dinesh Patel
Staff Present:
Jen Ochoa, Director of Community, Recreation and Park Services
Steve Wood,Foreman Public Grounds
Chairwoman Bovee called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
1. Audience of Citizens
a. Eileen Thurston, 139 Paterson Way—Ms. Thurston collected over 1,000 signatures in
support of naming and dedicating the BHS tennis courts to Rex Smith. Mr. Smith was a
tennis coach for 35 years and passed away in November 2018. Ms. Thurston hopes that
the dedication can be held on Thursday,August 8, 2019 while the Ivan Lendl camp is
taking place at BHS. Mr. Smith was instrumental in getting the camp to BHS and it
would be very appropriate to dedicate the courts at that time. Ms. Thurston proposes to
mount a dark bronze plaque on the fence between courts 3 and 4. She believes Athletic
Director Mauri will purchase the plaque within his departmental budget. Director Ochoa
informed Ms. Thurston that if the dedication request is approved,the plaque donation is a
separate action that will require approval by P&R Commission and Town Council in July
2019 in order to display the plaque in August 2019.
b. Susan Kwasniewski, 1111 Kensington Road—Ms. Kwasniewski stated that the
Ordinance Committee and Conservation Commission advised her to ask P&R if there
were any suitable locations for a dedicated dog park and mentioned Silver Lake as a
possibility. For many years, Bicentennial has been used as an off-leash park, but with the
implementation of the leash law ordinance, it will not be that way any longer. Ms.
Kwasniewski observed that fenced-in parks don't work well.
Chairwoman Bovee noted that the parks and fields that P&R Commission oversees are
heavily used for sports, and it has been trying to identify additional parcels to meet
current needs. She also noted that if a location is identified,the governing Commission
would need to vote to recommend the use as a dog park, and if the motion passes, it
would move onto Town Council for final determination.
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2. Approval of Minutes May 9, 2019
Commissioner Dellaquila moved to approve the May 9, 2019 minutes.
Seconded by Commissioner Patel.
Those voting in favor: Chairwoman Bovee, Commissioner Dellaquila, Commissioner
Hinchliffe, Commissioner Legnani, Commissioner Patel.
Vote being 5-0. (MOTION CARRIED)
3. Consent Agenda
a. Request by Eileen Thurston and members of the community to name and dedicate
the Berlin High School tennis courts to Mr. Rex Smith.
b. Request approval for the Berlin High School Boosters Club to sell food,beverages
and merchandise at Berlin High School events during the 2019-2020 school year.
c. Request by Thomas Heisler of the Berlin Land Trust for permission to rent a room
at the Community Center.
d. Request approval of a donation of flowers and plants,valued around $200-$250,to
be planted behind the backstop of Sage 1 Softball Field by Robyn Cop.
Commissioner Dellaquila moved to approve items a,b and c from the Consent Agenda as
presented.
Seconded by Commissioner Legnani.
Those voting in favor: Chairwoman Bovee, Commissioner Dellaquila, Commissioner
Hinchliffe, Commissioner Legnani, Commissioner Patel.
Vote being 5-0. (MOTION CARRIED)
Commissioner Dellaquila moved to approve item d from the Consent Agenda.
Seconded by Commissioner Hinchliffe.
The Commissioners noted that Ms. Cop wants to get flowers/plants in place for next
season in the Sage 1 backstop hill area. The group discussed the challenges to this
proposal, including the area's steep pitch, non-symmetrical layout and lack of water
source. The Commission agreed that the weedy area is unsightly but was concerned that
plantings would not be maintainable and the effort would be wasted. They discussed
possible alternatives, including tall grasses, shrubbery and wind-screen material. The
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Commission wants to help address this issue and requests that Ms. Cop, Athletic Director
Mauri and Coach Pires come to a future meeting to discuss options as a group.
Those voting against: Chairwoman Bovee, Commissioner Dellaquila, Commissioner
Hinchliffe, Commissioner Legnani, Commissioner Patel.
Vote being 0-5. (MOTION DEFEATED)
4. Parks & Grounds
a. Monthly Report(see attached)
• Grounds Foreman Wood discussed the new encapsulated fertilizer used at McGee
soccer field,which has greatly improved the condition.
• Grounds Foreman Wood shared the design of a taller replacement sign at the Berlin
Turnpike entry to Sage Park which will better display the Scalise and Zipadelli
portions which are currently just above ground-height. The existing sign at the entry
to Zipadelli Field will also be replaced. The cost of the signs will be paid by funds
from the current budget(fiscal year ending 6/30/19). The Commissioners asked
about the possibility of a lighted digital sign on the Berlin Turnpike that could display
dates and times of upcoming games to attract more attendees. There may be a digital
sign previously donated by a graduating class that was never used, as its original
proposed use on Patterson Way met resistance from neighbors. Director Ochoa and
Foreman Wood will investigate further.
Commissioner Dellaquila moved to add an item to the agenda.
Seconded by Commissioner Legnani.
Those voting in favor: Chairwoman Bovee, Commissioner Dellaquila, Commissioner
Hinchliffe, Commissioner Legnani, Commissioner Patel.
Vote being 5-0. (MOTION CARRIED)
NEW ITEM:
Commissioner Dellaquila moved to approve the proposed signage at the entrance of Sage Park
and at the entry of Zipadelli Field.
Seconded by Commissioner Legnani.
Those voting in favor: Chairwoman Bovee, Commissioner Dellaquila, Commissioner
Hinchliffe, Commissioner Legnani, Commissioner Patel.
Vote being 5-0. (MOTION CARRIED)
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b. Soccer Fields Update—The Silver Lake study is progressing. The study is being
performed as a peer review to better define the project and find options for disposal of the
dredged peat material. (DEEP will reimburse the Town for the cost of this study.)
c. Scalise Field Update—The contractor did not meet the contract deadlines to mobilize
and deliver the carpet material on-site and is being charged daily liquidated damages.
The contractor maintains that these delays will not impact the project completion date.
d. Scalise Field Bleachers—Both Town Council and Board of Finance approved the
transfer of funds to pay for safety improvements to the bleachers. The scope of work
includes adding intermediate steps, adding handrails, and adding safety fabric to encase
the top/back of the bleachers. Work is scheduled to begin on September 3, 2019 and
may affect the first few games held at Scalise.
5. Parks and Recreation
a. Monthly Report(see attached)
b. Community/Senior Center Update—An RFP is being developed to perform a
feasibility study of the Paterson Way site.
c. Pistol Creek Update—Paving work was completed, but another project(the
closure of a nearby sewage pump-house)requires that some of the newly paved
path be removed for sewer pipe redirection and then repaved. Public Works
Director Ahern will check on the progress and report back to Director Ochoa on
June 14, 2019. Summer Fun camp begins at Pistol Creek on June 17,2019, and the
proposed housing development on Atkins Street is moving forward.
6. Adjournment
Commissioner Hinchliffe moved to adjourn at 8:26 p.m.
Seconded by Commissioner Dellaquila.
Those voting in favor: Chairwoman Bovee, Commissioner Dellaquila, Commissioner
Hinchliffe, Commissioner Legnani, Commissioner Patel.
Vote being 5-0. (MOTION CARRIED)
Submitted by,
Dana Borges
RECEIVED FOR RECORD
BERLIN TOW C" "`04
2019 JUN 19 M 8: S LL
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BERLIN,CT.
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Steven T. Wood
Foreman Parks and Grounds
Daily
o Mowing and weed whacking of Town properties
o Groom and lines ballfields
Weekly
o Empty garbage and recycle cans throughout town
o Paint athletic fields
Miscellaneous jobs
o Change out all American and State Flags
o Put up American Flags for Memorial Day
o Installed solar panels and pump at Community Garden
o Removal of two flower beds at Veterans Park and replaced with
sod
o Plant 4,000 flowers throughout town
o Drain, clean and start up both pools
o Assisted with the car show
o Removed water from ballfields
o Thatched and fertilized all parks and fields
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Parks and Recreation Department
Debra S. Dennis, CPRP
Superintendent of Recreation
June monthly report
1. Processing paperwork for summer staff, new and returning, over 50 people. Had two
people quit, had to interview people and was able to fill the spots.
2. Set up first aid and cpr classes for the summer fun program staff, through Hunter's
Ambulance. Also set up Mandated Reporter classes, required for staff working all day
with kids.
3. Entered new staff and emailed all staff about blood borne pathogens program through
CIRMA.
4. Getting equipment ready and bringing out to the pools for inspection, Percival on June 4
and Demore, Dinda, Bittner Jr Memorial on June 12. Worked on aquatic staff manual
and prepared for staff meeting and in-service to be held Saturday,June 8. Percival set
to open June 14 and Demore, Dinda, Bittner Jr. Memorial on June 17, for the season.
5. Worked on Summer Fun staff manual and met with Directors and Assistant Directors to
go over the summer and expectations. Each site will coordinate their own training this
year, The Creek will be Saturday, June 8, Clover Hill will be Thursday,June 13.
6. Ordered supplies, bathing suits for guards and staff t-shirts for all staff.
7. Opening and closing p.o.'s for the end of the fiscal year and going through supplies to
order what is necessary to start the pools and summer programs.
8. Arranged for phones at pools to be turned on and cell phones for emergencies.
9. Coordinate room set ups with custodians. Bigger programs using the Community Center
in May/June are Tax Collectors, CIRMA, and several Condominium Associations.
10. Registrations steady for pool passes and many programs. Hoping warm weather will
continue to bring more people in. Clover Hill and The Creek are starting to fill up some
weeks.
11. Covered office, handled daily registration while secretary took vacation time.
12. Met with Town staff to go over responsibilities of Community Center in terms of being
an emergency site for elections/referendums. In April, the Senior Center had to be
evacuated for a gas smell, on the day the budget referendum was being held. Through
the process is was discovered the Community Center was designated as an alternate site
but we were never informed of that. Moving forward, especially for larger elections, we
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will be a stand by site in case any polling place gets shut down. This will be coordinated
with the Registrar of Voters office.
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